Sin of Angels
by Torre58
Summary: A disease is spreading throughout modern-day United States, causing acute insanity and homicidal compulsions, which wouldn’t be so bad if those infected didn’t have superhuman strength and speed.
1. Chapter 1

_Thank you Sakura Sango for beta reading!_

_Update 6-8-08: Beta read part two!_

_Update 7-27-08_

--

Sanzo Genjyo was annoyed.

He'd been hearing a voice in his head and it was annoying. He didn't want to see a psychiatrist about it, because he was a detective and insanity didn't bode well in the business. Most likely they would make him take time off, causing him to further delay finding his father's murderers. So, he decided to instead find the source and make it stop. The only problem was, he lived in Las Vegas and the source was four hours away at the Nevada State Prison. It was such a bother having to drive over desert and mountains, not to mention the fact that Sanzo hated to drive. But if it was going to stop that voice, he'd do it.

The voice led him directly to the high security section of the prison called The Dungeon, where criminals who were too violent and unstable to mix with the general prison population. To go to The Dungeon required the unpleasant protocol of being searched, then, once inside, Sanzo had to walk past inmates throwing obscenities and feces at him. He was definitely hating his day, and he was seriously going to whack the guy responsible for it.

"Where are you going?" asked the guard as Sanzo continued to walk towards the empty cells at the back. The lights were off, which indicated that the area had obviously been unused for years. The walls at this end were made up of brick, which were chipped and worn. The iron bar doors were corroded and bent, hanging off of hinges and laying upon the ground within the cell, which were covered with debris.

"Over here."

"There's no one down there. Haven't been for a hundred years."

Sanzo didn't respond but continued to walk down the dark corridor. He knew that the source of that voice was down there.

"Hold on," the guard muttered and turned on his flashlight. "The power doesn't work down there."

Sanzo's footsteps were quiet as he walked, while the guard's clicked upon the linoleum. The light and noise from the occupied end faded as they went deeper and deeper down the cellblock. There was a broken pipe, and the sound of dripping water echoed against the bare walls.

"Man," said the guard, "never knew it went down this deep."

Sanzo grunted.

_Help me. Please help me,_ the voice repeated its incessant chant. _Help me._ It was definitely getting louder.

There was no other light now, except from the flashlight. The sound from the prisoners was a distant memory, the cells becoming more and more decrepit and old-fashioned as they progressed. Dust muted their footfall and floated around them. Cobwebs crisscross above them.

"You know," whispered the guard, "They say there's a monster that lives down here."

Sanzo narrowed his eyes at him as if to say, _You've got to be kidding me._

"I'm just saying," the guard added, defensively, still keeping his voice down.

They reached a brick wall, indicating the end of the cell block. The guard looked at Sanzo expectantly. Sanzo was still as he listened for the voice. There it was. He pointed towards the left. "Shine the light over there,'' he ordered. The beam of light illuminated the back of the cell, which was unusually sparse of cobwebs and debris compared to the cells before, but other than that, there was no one in there. Damn… He was so sure he would be there.

"Satisfied?" asked the guard.

When Sanzo didn't reply, the guard shrugged then brought the flashlight down to turn and lead them back. In mid swing, the light caught the gold in the eyes of a child, and the guard froze. There definitely was a child in the cell. He was tiny and sat curled close to the bars, large eyes blankly looking up at them.

"No one down here, huh?" Sanzo snorted.

"That's impossible!"

"Get him out," Sanzo growled.

The guard looked at the rusted, old-fashion lock. "I don't have a key to that."

Sanzo snatched the flashlight from the man. "Then go get a saw."

The guard stumbled as he hurried and made his way down the dark corridor, his footfalls rapid before tapering out of existence.

Sanzo waited. He could be using this time to reassure the boy, but he didn't seem perturbed of his situation. He just sat there with those large vacant eyes. He was dirty and his hair was a wild mane that bushed out at front and went past his waist in the back. He wore heavy-looking shackles around his wrists and ankles. There were chains attached to the cuffs, snaking to the back of the cell and ending at a large heavy ring attached to the brick wall. A gentle breeze wafted from outside through the small barred window near the ceiling. Since the dungeon was mostly underground, the thick grass of the courtyard obscured most of the view, but a bit of blue peaked through gaps.

"Were you the one calling me?" whispered Sanzo.

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

--

A couple hours later, Sanzo was walking out into the parking lot of the penitentiary with a skinny, bare-footed boy following him. His day seemed to be getting more and more annoying as it went. The boy said has name was Goku Son, but the only record found of him stated that he had massacred forty by-standers during a downtown parade in 1905, which meant he was over one-hundred years old. Yeah, right. The system must have lost his real records. Goku wasn't much help either. He couldn't remember what his crime was, only that he was in prison for a "long, long time." Either way, the warden decided to let Sanzo take him to social services.

"Hurry up," Sanzo grunted. Goku was staring with his jaw hanging at a light post. His wide eyes slowly following it up and over his head, nearly causing him to fall backwards. It was as if he'd never seen one before. He did the same thing at the warden's office. When Sanzo used the computer to look for Goku's file, Goku had crowded around him to experiment the keyboard before Sanzo had slapped it away. And when Sanzo talked on the phone with social services, Goku had yanked at the cord, causing the receiver to flip away from Sanzo and clank onto the desk. Goku had given an embarrassed smile as he apologized, which made Sanzo loss the urge to smack him.

"Why can't I stay with you?" he wondered, walking up to him with those round puppy dog eyes.

"Because I hate children," Sanzo snarled.

Goku pouted. Then, without preamble, he doubled over, clutching his stomach.

Sanzo's heart jumped, but his voice was level when he asked, "What's wrong?"

A deep rumbling sounded from the small figure, "I'm hungry," he stated and started to cry. Large droplets fell from eyes hidden by a bush of mangy hair, darkening the cement below. Sanzo had the sudden urge to kill someone just then.

"Come on," he snapped. "I'll take you somewhere to eat."

"Yay! Food!" With a sudden burst of energy, the boy bounced up with a fist in the air and a smile on his face as if someone had told him he won the lottery. He continued to bounce and cheer all the way to the car.

As Sanzo drove, Goku fidgeted excitedly from his seat, opening and closing the glove compartment and the window and messing with the radio. He asked questions about everything that caught his eye, forcing Sanzo's attention when he needed all his concentration to drive.

"Oooooo…. Sanzosanzosanzo! Waz dat?!" He was pointing at a stop sign, bouncing lightly in his seat, and when he didn't answer, Goku cupped his hands around his mouth so that he may directly holler into his ear, "SANZO!"

"Shut up, monkey!" he gritted.

"Don't call me that!" Goku whined, but he finally settled.

Sanzo looked over. "Put on your seatbelt," he ordered.

"Seat…belt?"

Sanzo furrowed his forehead as he glanced at the wide-eyed kid. This kid was seriously weird. He then reached over and buckled him. Goku flinched before he examined the restraint, testing the strap by pulling it away and letting it slide into place. It was as if he was born yesterday.

Sanzo pulled by a McDonald's and parked the car. He looked down at the dirty boy with no shoes, and wondered if he should have kept looking for one with a drive through. "Stay here," he ordered.

"Why can't I go with you?" he whined.

"Because I'll be hassled if someone sees you, and I'm annoyed enough as it is."

Goku didn't complain further and Sanzo got out of the car to enter the restaurant. To his dismay, it was packed solid. Some high school field trip had decided to go to this particular McDonald's of all places, and the commotion was deafening. Sanzo placed fingers to his temple as he fought a headache. This was definitely not his day.

--

Goku sat in the car and ogled at the sights and sounds around him. He had no memories of being outside his cell and he never imagined how lively and colorful being outside would be…and Sanzo. Sanzo was the liveliest of all; warm and yellow like the sun. How he had longed to see the sun all those years in that dark, cold cell. Now he was surrounded by it like a warm blanket. It was like a dream, and he smiled contently.

He then looked around the parking lot and realized that there was no one else around. He looked at the streets and there were no cars, no pedestrians. Where did they go? He looked at the restaurant where Sanzo had disappeared. What's taking him so long? _Did he abandon me? _thought Goku. Suddenly the seatbelt felt like a vice and the interior of the car felt too tight.

He needed to get out. Looking at the restraint, he felt for a release and found it after pressing the red square. He felt along the door. Lifting a lever, the door clicked and opened. Hesitantly, Goku stepped out of the vehicle, the ground feeling course and hard under his feet.

"Sanzo?" he whispered as he inched towards the front of the restaurant. "Sanzo?"

Suddenly the door swung open, but it wasn't Sanzo. Three teenage boys froze as they saw Goku. Goku froze as well.

"Gross," said a boy and the others laughed.

"What happened to you, kid?" asked another boy as he walked up to him. Goku inched back. "Hey, kid! I'm asking you a question. Are you retarded?" More laughter.

"I think he's homeless," concluded the third. He crouched forward, and Goku backed, his leg hitting Sanzo's car. He was trapped! His heart started to beat loudly. "Where are your parents?" yelled the boy as if he was deaf.

"He smells," the first commented, holding on to his nose, but he also surrounded him. Goku looked up at the boy's ominous silhouette which blocked the sun.

"We should take him to the teacher," the third offered.

"Ew, gross," said the first. "I'm not touching him."

"Here." Hands reached out to grab him. Goku flashbacked and they were another set of hands reaching for him, trapping him and taking him away. Goku's eyes widened. His heart pounded in his ears as the world went white.

--

Sanzo was almost to the front of the line when a kid yelled, "Fight, fight!" Suddenly the crowd rushed to the door. Sanzo had a bad feeling and started to shove his way through the crowd.

"Move!" he yelled.

The sun momentarily blinded him as he stepped out of the air-conditioned space into the dry heat of the desert. What he saw shocked him.

The high school kids surrounded the scene but were silent as they stared. An unconscious boy was embedded in Sanzo's windshield. Another one lay on the cement faced up as Goku rapidly pummeled him with a force that caused the boy's blood to fly out in spades. And the look in Goku's eyes… was disturbing.

"Goku!" he yelled.

The beating stopped as bloodlust eyes trained on Sanzo, then blurred as he rushed towards him. Fuck! This kid was going to kill him!

Sanzo instinctively held his palm up and started to pray as if his life depended on it. In an instant, he hit the ground hard with Goku on top of him.

Then silence. Nothing, except for the gentle hum of his chant. Sanzo opened his eyes and was surprised to find a yellow glow emanating from his palm onto the boy's forehead, eyes wide as if in a daze. Sanzo continued to chant, repeating it over and over again, since it seemed to be working. Eventually Goku's eyes drooped closed and he was asleep in his arms.

The crowd was silent from shock as he exclaimed, "What the fuck?!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you Sakura Sango for beta reading!_

_Updated 6-27-08_

--

Gonou Cho walked happily back to his tiny apartment with a smile on his face. A smile that was now always present since he met his Kanan a year ago. They had both grown up in the foster care system with separate families. Kanan had been living a year on her own when Gonou graduated from the system. He had been eighteen years old at the time and was sitting at a diner contemplating his future when Kanan had come to take his order. He had looked up from his menu and fallen in love immediately.

There was something about her that had seemed so familiar. Possibly because she looked a lot like him; similar green eyes and brown hair. They could have been siblings. After dating her a few times and discovering that they shared the same last name, they both concluded that quite possibly they were. But even if that were the case, it didn't matter because they were in love. Despite their religious upbringing in, coincidently, highly devout Catholic families, they decided to live together. It was quite ironic actually. After living with 'family' that didn't look related, they ended up falling in love and living with someone who actually did. And for the first time in their lives, they didn't feel alone.

Gonou went on to earn his early childhood development certificate and obtained a job at a local preschool. He had then insisted on supporting Kanan so that she might pursue a career she truly wanted, even if it meant paying for Kanan to go to an expensive university. He would do anything for her. However after a couple weeks of looking through want ads and researching colleges and courses, Kanan had declared that all she truly wanted was to be a stay-at-home mother. Gonou had been thrilled to hear this and started to secretly save money so that he could buy an engagement ring and propose to her.

Gonou was practically skipping to the apartment now. It was a sunny day despite the weatherman's prediction of rain and he had enjoyed himself at work after deciding to stay overtime to play tag outside with the children. All was right in the world, and he hardly noticed the graffiti and prostitutes as he casually strolled by. Although not downtown, they lived in a somewhat questionable part of Las Vegas. It was all they could afford, but he wasn't worried, being highly skilled in martial arts and living in a secure apartment complex. He unlocked the front door of the building and proceeded to walk up the darkened staircase to their apartment.

"Kanan," he said as he unlocked and swung the door open. "I'm home!"

He froze. What he saw stunned him.

The apartment was in shambles; upturned furniture, broken plates and ripped clothing strewn all over the floor.

He rushed in. "Kanan! Kanan!" He quickly discovered that she wasn't there.

Was it a robbery? But there were no sign of break in and nothing was missing except for… He crouched to pick up Kanan's pale yellow dress off the floor, fresh blood on torn fabric. It was what she was wearing when he left this morning.

--

Moments later, he was standing in the hallway at his landlord's front door.

"I'm sorry, Gonou." The landlord was half hiding behind his heavy door; the green paint glistened under the glow of a bare light bulb.

Gonou blinked. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. The landlord was a balding man and had his head downcast in regret. "Some men from Hyakugenmaoh came here earlier." Hyakugenmaoh was the neighborhood mafia. Hearing about his skills in martial arts, they had offered him employment but he had refused. The landlord continued, "They said that if we didn't let them in, they would have burned the whole complex down."

Gonou looked down the hall and saw his neighbors, all hiding behind doors and looking guilty.

"I'm sorry," the elder man offered weakly and was about to close the door.

"You." The elder man looked up and his jaw fell. Gonou's eyes had hardened and he was looking uncharacteristically fierce. "You." The landlord staggered back and almost tripped. "You let them in!" Gonou roared.

The door swung violently, knocking the air out of the older man. He struggled to stand, to escape. But it was too late. He was dead before he knew it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you Sakura Sango for beta reading!_

_Updated: 10-6-08_

--

Sanzo watched his foster son Goku as he skillfully skated around the hockey rink. He had the puck, and despite the other children skirmishing around him, his eyes were trained on the goal with a steady focus. Smashing his stick across the ice with a loud smack, the puck skidded across the ice in black blur right into the goal. The bell rang, signifying another point for his team. The game had hardly begun and already Goku's team had a tremendous lead. It looked like another sure win.

Sanzo grunted. He didn't know why he attended these things. It's not like he was required to, but some odd compulsion brought him there every week and to all of Goku's school and afterschool activities. After Goku had assaulted the teenagers two years ago, Sanzo had pulled every string to keep Goku from being tried as an adult, which was no easy feat. With Goku's inhuman strength and unpredictable alter ego, the only place that would hold him would be The Dungeon and that was by no means a fitting punishment for his crime. Thankfully, because of his father's connections and a governor's unusual obsession of him the court had made a special arrangement. The only hitch was that, in addition to required weekly therapy sessions, the arrangement included Sanzo becoming his legal guardian. He had agreed to do it at the time but to this day wondered why. Maybe it was because he hadn't want Goku to start sending his voice to his head again if he were to return to The Dungeon. Not that his actual voice was any more pleasant. Goku's incessant chatter was grating on his nerves. Additionally, being a guardian was annoyingly time-consuming and took way from work. The only good news was that it wouldn't last forever. In three more years, Goku would turn eighteen and he would be rid of him.

Sanzo watched as Goku bounced happily on the ice, the epitome of energy. His teammates towered the smaller boy as they surrounded him, praising him for scoring. Sanzo couldn't help feeling satisfied with his suggesting he join the hockey team. Even though he had originally planned for it to occupy Goku away from him, Goku still derived pleasure from his teammates. Sanzo just hoped that not having a challenging opponent wouldn't cause him to suddenly abandon it like he did his martial arts.

Sanzo realized that Goku was looking towards him, his golden eyes round with innocence and the need for acceptance. Sanzo involuntarily twitched into a smile, causing Goku to throw his arms in the air and bounce higher.

_Stupid monkey._

--

Gonou stood in the dark alleyway, watching the guards at the gate check invitations from guests in limousines and luxury cars before waving them into the mansion beyond, which was known throughout the neighborhood as the home of Hyakugenmaoh's leader. It was nighttime and, as the weatherman predicted, it was raining hard. However, despite the heavy downpour, he could still hear the exchange at the gate and gathered that there was a wedding reception at the mansion. Gonou surmised that Kanan was most likely not held hostage at the mansion, but he didn't have a clue where else to look.

Gonou watched as a large, burly man in a drenched tux walked up to the gate house from the mansion. He recognized the man as the one who had approached him with employment. Gonou quickly ducked into the shadows to avoid being seen and strained to hear him talk to the guard through the beating of the rain. "Man, it's pouring cats and dogs!" The man yelled through the rain.

"Why aren't you at the party?" asked the guard.

"Needed to make a transaction. The supplier dropped off the package earlier than expected. Man, talk about inconsiderate." He shook his head.

"I know what you mean."

The man walked down the street and Gonou followed close behind, making sure that he stayed hidden. The man reached an alleyway and turned into it. Gonou heart was racing and the adrenaline was making his whole body shake. He noticed that the man was a good head taller than him but decided to approach him anyway. He yanked at the man's upper arm, causing him to spin around and face him.

"Where's Kanan?" Gonou demanded.

The man's eyes widened briefly, but he quickly recovered, his lips forming an ugly smirk. "Gonou Cho," he sneered. "Your little lady was sure a good fuck-"

Gonou moved before the man had a chance to finish and looked dumbstruck to find his back to the cement. Gonou had tackled him and had a kitchen knife at his throat. The rain fell the directly in his face, causing the man to squint up at Gonou. He was definitely not smirking any longer. "Where's Kanan?" Gonou growled in a level tone.

"Hey, hey, man! Take it easy," his voice shook as he spoke, panicked. "She's in the abandoned building on 5th Street."

Gonou gave him a pleasant smile. "Thank you for your cooperation," he said with utmost courtesy before slicing the man's throat open. The man's eyes widened with surprise and his mouth gaped open into a silent scream. Gonou watched as the man choked on his own blood, the blood gushing out of his neck and joining the streams of rain below him. Gonou waited until the man's twitching had nearly ceased before he stood up to survey the area. Noticing the red mustang at the end of the alleyway, he searched the man's jacket and found a key, a gun and an invitation. He opened the trunk and found enough explosives to blow up a building. Smiling, he closed the trunk, got into the car, and started to drive.

This was the first time he ever drove. Luckily it was an automatic, so the controls were self-explanatory; however, Gonou was a bit disappointed that he couldn't enjoy the experience more. It certainly was thrilling how the vehicle rumbled down the road towards the iron gates. The mansion lay beyond, a warm glow radiating from its tall windows, safe and cozy, surrounded by perfectly cut grass and hedges. Inside were those with the audacity to celebrate a wedding on the day Kanan was taken away from him. The thought made Gonou grimace. He quickly masked bitterness as the guard walked out of the gate house to greet him, rain pelting on his transparent, plastic rain coat. Right at the opening of the gate house, there was another guard who looked up from what looked like black and white footage of surveillance cameras throughout the property.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Gonou smiled as he greeted them.

"Did you get caught in the rain?" inquired the guard.

Gonou knew he looked drenched. He just hoped that his collared white shirt, what he wore to work that day, looked formal enough for him to pass as a wedding guest. "Oh, yes," he said cheerfully as he handed him the invitation. "The rain can take you by surprise sometimes."

The guard took the gilded paper and examined it with a flashlight then handed it back to Gonou. "Okay," he concluded. "You can go in." He gestured to the guard behind him who pushed a button, causing the gate to swing open.

"Thank you very much," he said politely as he pulled out the pistol and shot twice. Two bodies collapsed into a wet heap and Gonou drove to the front of the mansion.

The valet wearing a red jacket walked up to the car. The light from the mansion fell over Gonou as he got out of the car. With the knife gleaming in his hand, he must have looked wild. The valet's eyes widened as he got a better look at him and turned to run into the house only to be stopped by a vice-like arm around his chest. Gonou sliced open the valet's neck, causing warm blood to pour down his arm. He released the body and it buckled at Gonou's feet.

Gonou opened the trunk and pulled out the small black boxes, stacking them neatly in his arms. He then started to systematically run around the parameter of the building, leaving boxes along the wall as he went. The rain was a curtain of water in front of his eyes, making it difficult to see and causing him to slip a little on the slick grass. The incessant drops pounded on him like hundreds of needles, making him feel cold and numb. His fingers barely felt the black boxes as they slipped from his hand. His thoughts imagining the gaiety that was behind the brick walls, of laughing men in handsome tuxedos and women draped in jewelry. He wanted to destroy it, shatter their happiness. He finished, feeling a sense of accomplishment from his work before entering the car and droving off. As the car zoomed pass the gates, Gonou pressed the remote detonator. The resulting explosion of the mansion was enough to jolt the vehicle as he sped down the empty road. What once was a stormy black night was now almost painfully bright as the flames erupted upward. Already, neighboring house lights were turning on and soon enough police and fire companies would be swarming the scene. Gonou didn't even spare a glace back.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hi to anyone reading this. Yay! I got my first review! Thank you, Kerumica! Makes me want to write more. I just edited last chapter, and there is a significant change. Goku is now 15 and not on the verge of 18. So, poor Sanzo has 3 more years with his monkey._

_Update 4-21-08: A change. I explain a bit why Sanzo's rich. Thank you __nimblnymph for your feedback._

--

The game had ended, as always, with Goku's team as victors. It was raining as Sanzo stood outside of the arena under an overhang to talk on the phone. He stood to the side of the exit, so that the crowd just exiting wouldn't bump him as they making their way to their cars.

The dispatcher informed him that there was a bombing at the known residents of the Hyakugenmaoh mafia don, apparently during a wedding celebration, estimating deaths close to 1000. "I'll be there in half an hour," said Sanzo on the phone. He put a cigarette in his mouth and proceeded to light it.

"Sanzo!" Goku was wearing his street clothes, jacket over t-shirt and jeans, a large bag behind him with his gear and his hokey stick in his hand. He was waving frantically as he dodged others to reach him.

Sanzo grunted as he exhaled warm smoke into chill air.

"Did you see?! Did you see?! I had five. Count them five." He held his hand up. "That's practically the whole team on me! And I made the last point, no problem!" Despite Goku's elaborate show of excitement, Sanzo could tell that he was indifferent of his win as he was.

"I saw."

"So, can we go out for Chinese? I'm starving!"

"The cook can make you something to eat when you go home."

"You're not coming with me, Sanzo?" Goku's excitement drained out of his face.

"No. I have work. The limo should be here any minute to pick you up."

"Can I come with you?"

Sanzo exhaled smoke and regarded Goku. He has brought Goku with him as he worked before. Especially in the beginning when he was too young to be left alone and Sanzo couldn't find anyone to watch over him in time. He received a lot of grief from others, saying that he was traumatizing the juvenile, but even if he cared what they thought, he disagreed. Goku actually seemed to crave the violence and chaos that accompanied his line of work. It was a little disturbing but not surprising. Additionally, Sanzo just hired a new maid and would like very much to keep her in employment without shocking her with Goku's whirlwind technique of making a mess, especially when Sanzo won't be present to curtail it.

"Fine," said Sanzo curtly as he dropped the cigarette on the wet ground and stomped it. He turned into the rain.

"Yay!" he exclaimed, he followed Sanzo as he walked to the car. Sanzo had his head down but walked his usual pace as if defying the rain. "Can we stop by McDonald's?"

"Fine," said Sanzo and for once he was glad his father had left him a fortune. The measly stipend the state gives him to take care of Goku barely covers the cost of the food to fed him.

"Yay! Food! Yay! I want a cheeseburger, a big mac, fries, soda,-" he exclaimed endlessly in his rough voice that seemed to project even in the rain.

Sanzo pulled a paper fan from his jacket and whacked him hard on the head. "Shut up, Monkey! The rain's annoying enough as it is!"

"Oww… But, Sanzo, how will you know what I want?"

"I already know that you want everything on the menu."

"How did you know that?!" he asked, genuinely surprised. "Sanzo! How did you know?! Sanzo!" Whack. "Ow."

"I said 'shut up' already," Sanzo said as he stepped into the car.

"But, Sanzo!"

--

Gojyo Sha stepped out of the casino and blew a couple puffs from his cigarette before stepping out into the rain to head home. Damn. The evening was going so well, and then that tart had to go ahead and comment how beautiful his hair was. "Beautiful" she had said. He looked balefully at the crimson strands that fell near his eyes. To him it looked like…

"Blood?" He realized he was standing in a pool of crimson. A color he was all too familiar with. Under the streetlamp, his eyes followed it to its source, a shapeless form just inside the alleyway. He looked around the street, and it was deserted.

Walking up to the mass, he realized that his assumption was correct. It was a person and from all the blood he saw, most likely dead. A man with a white shirt and dark hair, skin pale. "Hey, buddy!" He said pushing the body with his foot. "Are you dead?" The man moaned. Alive! Gojyo crouched to look closer and caught the eye of the stranger before he faded into unconsciousness. It was as if he smiled at him. "Hold on, buddy. I'll get you help."

--

Sanzo sat in the forensics lab as he watched the surveillance tapes that were retrieved from the crime scene. He wasn't at the scene for too long. Two bodies at the gate. One body at the front. The building was too damage for him to enter, and the fire department had already declared that there were no survivors. There was however, one witness who saw a red car drive away from the scene before the explosion. It was heading downtown. All officers in the area had been notified to look out for it.

Sanzo looked at the black and white footage again. Inhaling a drag from his cigarette. The suspect's smile, almost innocently, at the guards right before shooting them. It seemed out of place.

"Here you go, Goku." Al, the crime scene investigator came in with towels and threw one to the boy, whom was reading a comic book with his feet propped up on a nearby desk as if he was lounging around at home."

"Thanks, Al!" He said as he put the comic book down so that he can dry his hair.

"You know," he said to Sanzo as he handed him a towel, "the boy shouldn't-"

"Shove it!" said Sanzo as he dried his hair and continue to look at the footage.

"Okay, okay." Al's hands were up. "I'm sure you've heard it before." Sanzo was also smoking in the lab, when he wasn't supposed to, but Al had given up on that a long time ago.

"We're you able to ID him?" asked Sanzo, taking a drag and puffing it out.

"We're working on it. As far as we know, his profile doesn't fit anyone on file affiliated with any rival gangs."

"He doesn't seem to be the type that would belong to a rival gang or any for that matter."

"You think?" Al said as he stooped to look closer at the screen. "He does have that school teacher feel to him, doesn't he? A demented school teacher that went nuts feel." Al laughed.

"And look at his eyes," continued Sanzo thoughtfully.

"Hmm?" inquired Al.

"There's revenge in them."

"How are you seeing that? Well, you're probably right. You're good with those types of things." He stood straight. "Goku! You hungry?"

Goku's eyes brightened up. "Am I!"

"Shut up, chimp! You just ate an hour ago!"

"Please, Sanzo!" Goku whined. "I'm starving!"

"It's okay, Sanzo. The old lady packed more food than I could eat. I'll get you some, okay son?"

"Okay!" he yelled and went back to his futile effort in dry his clothes with the towel.

"Al, is there any other footage?" asked Sanzo.

"Yeah." He pointed at a cassette tape by the VCR. "That one is of the front of the house, when the valet was murdered. There must be some mechanical damaged though. I'll look into it."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I have to look into it." He left the room, and Sanzo watched the screen.

The man stepped out of the car and the valet turned to run back into the building when the man disappeared the reappeared upon the man's back. Huh? He replayed the footage, slowing the speed. The man hadn't disappeared. He was moving so fast he was a blur. The only person he ever saw moved that fast was…

"Kick ass!" Exclaimed Goku and Sanzo realized that Goku had been standing behind him. For once, Sanzo didn't reprimand him for yelling while he was trying to work. "Do you think I can beat him?"

Sanzo was still in thought. "Yeah," whispered Sanzo, but he was answering a different question.

"You think, Sanzo?! Man! Wouldn't it be kick ass if we fought?! That would be awesome!" The adolescent said excitedly.

This man, thought Sanzo, was like Goku.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hi all. I'm glad that there are people out there that are enjoying this. Thank you to everyone who gave a review. Without you, I wouldn't be writing like a crazy maniac lately._

_I must warn everyone though that this one hasn't been beta read despite my promises of improving my grammar. I had also stupidly promised someone this would be up today, but I wasn't able to get it read by someone in time. I did however went through this chapter the second time with a fine tooth comb and hope that my occasional tense and awkward wording wouldn't be too painful to read._

_Enjoy! I hope._

--

The noise of rain was like a drum in his head. He had entered the supposed abandoned building and was met with an assortment of villains and criminals. The fear of being outnumbered fluttered away along with the regret of entering a situation before assessing it, because the hope of Kanan was within reach. He dared not waste another minute.

He moved fast, must faster than he was supposed to be. Forcing him to slow so that he can have some semblance of control. His senses also seemed sharper than what he remembered them to be. Was it really possible to dodge bullets? A ghost of him spoke of logic of what was possible and impossible, but him whom had possession only felt rage and needed destruction.

The feel of flesh upon his hand as he sliced and stabbed through meat was warm and seemed to pulse before fading out of existence. The blood, however, was hot and red, blanketing his vision, warming his chill skin. He was sure that there were screaming, begging, gunshots, but all he heard was the drumming.

He was moving floor-to-floor, demolishing bodies as he went. He could feel his own body tire and his breathing labor, his energy slipping away. He wondered how long he would last. If he would see Kanan before he died.

There were fewer bodies to hack now, and then there was a floor where there was no one. And another. His heart sunk and his mind raced, trying to remember whom he killed. If by chance one of them had been Kanan.

"Kanan!" he called out in a darkened room. He was moving slow, despite his anxiety. He must have injured his leg somehow, because he was dragging his foot. There was a sharp pain in his arm and it shook violently, barely keeping the grip on the knife.

"Gonou?" She was caged like an animal, but he only felt relieved. She was alive!

"Kanan!" he yelled as he knelt in front of her, dropping the knife as he desperately reach out to touch her through solid bars. "Kanan, thank God, you're alive."

"Gonou!" she said.

He was exhausted. "Let's go home," he said. He wanted to collapse he was so relieved.

He felt her pull away from him. Surprised, Gonou looked up to see that she had the knife in her hand. "No, Gonou," she said, "I can never go back." She pointed it to her own stomach.

His eyes widened. "No, Kanan!"

"Goodbye," she said, tears streaming down her face, and she plunged the knife with tears. Her body collapsed to the side and the blood. So much blood. Pouring all around her, towards him, on to the knees of his slacks. Adding to the red upon his hands.

Gonou woke.

It was white all around and bright. "Is hell supposed to be white?" he whispered, groggily. He felt like he was floating, detached from his body that ached and numb at the same time.

Red caught his eye and he was reminded of his nightmare. No. Memory. He blinked and his vision cleared somewhat. It was a man with red hair that went past his shoulders, tan skin with thin scars on his cheek, looking like a biker with his long-sleeve black shirt, designs of white skulls, daggers, and vines. He sat with a chair flipped backwards, his arms upon the back of the seat.

"You're in a hospital, buddy," said the man, his accent indistinguishable and his manner relaxed. "You've been unconscious for a week now."

"Are you the one who saved me?" Gonou said trying to sit up.

"Don't strain yourself, man. You were a mess when I found you."

Gonou managed to sit up anyways despite the pain in his abdomen and the dizziness in his head. "I suppose I should thank you."

The man studied him, and Gonou realized that his irises were also red.

"Are you disappointed this ain't hell?"

Just then a young nurse in green striped scrubs pushed aside the curtain divider. She had long purple hair up in a ponytail and a pale complexion. Pretty with large, round violet eyes and a little roundness in the face. The tag said Yaone. "Ah! You're finally awake!" She pulled a clipboard from the foot of the bed and looked at it. "How are you feeling? How's your pain?"

"Fine. Thank you." He felt he should have smiled, but it was already too much effort to sit up properly.

"I'm so glad to hear that," she said pleasantly. "Now that I have you awake, may I have your name please." Pen posed over the clipboard.

Gonou paused and thought.

"It's John," chimed in the red man. "He just told me when he woke. John…Chiu."

"John Chiu," she said as she scribbled in the chart. "Looks like you won the wager, Mr. Sha."

"Hey," the red man said, head tilted, hands up, "Am I an expert in guessing names or what? I guessed yours right."

"Gojyo," she smiled, "my name is on my tag."

"But I knew you before I met you."

"Gojyo, please." She giggled and looked back at Gonou. "You were very fortunate that Gojyo found you in time. He's been here every day to visit you. He's a real angel."

"I like the company here." He winked at the nurse.

Nurse Yaone smiled affectionately. "Gojyo, you're embarrassing me." She turned her attention back to Gonou. "Mr. Chiu, may I have your emergency contact?" she said, pen posed.

Gonou lowered and tilted his head, trying to hide behind his thick hair. "I don't have any," he said. He felt sleepy all of a sudden. There was an awkward silence, but Gonou was too tired to say anything else.

"Put down Gojyo Sha, Sweetheart," red man finally said.

"Okay," she stammered.

"Yaone, I think the dude is about to knock out. Can the questions wait?"

"Of course."

"Thank you," said Gonou politely. The pain stabbed at his abdomen as he carefully lay back down. His head was spinning.

"I'll see you tomorrow, buddy," said Gojyo.

--

Gojyo left the stranger's room and had the urge to smoke. The hall was active as hospital workers went about their business. Lights flashed, phone rang, and chatter was throughout. The scent of disinfectant strong in the air. A nurse greeted him as she walked by. He leaned towards the nurse that had left the room with him, hand upon her shoulder. "Hey, Yaone," he said, "I think that guy is thinking of killing himself."

--

Sanzo was working at his desk. The door was closed, but glass windows looked out to the rest of the police station, busy with activity. His desk was the standard deep stain wood as in the rest of the station, worn from years of use by who knew how many before him. He kept his desk relatively clean and empty, except for a computer, an in box, a dark burgundy ashtray, and a small white marble Buddha statue. Currently, however, he was looking through the Hyakugenmaoh bombing case, so the evidence from the file was spread out his desk like a patchwork quilt. Another body was found, in a alleyway not too far from the bombing. Trace evidence matched the ones on the valet, connecting the murders. Sanzo inhaled mindlessly on the cigarette in his hand and then exhaled, thinking.

There was a knock, and Sanzo saw Detective Ramerez enter his office, "Hey, Genjyo. I may have something of interest to you."

"What?" he asked.

"I'm working on an apartment complex massecure located in Hyakugenmaoh territory. It occurred the same day as your bombing. Twenty deaths total. Suspected weapon used was a knife. No witnesses. There were two residents that we haven't been able to track down and are our possible suspects. Gonou and Kanan Cho, brother and sister separated from birth, but I don't think they know it." Ramerez placed a picture over Sanzo's desk. A face of a green-eyed man smiled pleasantly up at him under gloss. "Is this your guy?"

Sanzo grunted, "Yeah, that's him."

--

Gojyo went to visit the guy he had named John at the hospital to find that they had transferred him to the psych ward. Heavy security doors that belonged more on a space shuttle blocked the entrance to the hospital wing. He stood at the receptionist's desk to sign in and chitchat with the lady there. Apparently, John was quite a likeable guy. Very polite, she said. He wondered if he would be pissed that he got him into the psych ward. Fuck it. It was for his own good.

The nurse buzzed him in, allowing the doors to automatically swing outward. This part of the hospital seemed less hectic. Quiet. A doctor in a white jacket walked briskly by him, eyes upon a silver clipboard. A custodian had his cleaning cart down the hall as he changed linings in garbage cans.

Room 3C was what the nurse said at the station, which was only a couple doors down. The room was bright. John's roommate was asleep, and John was sitting up in bed by the window, staring intently into his hands, palms up.

"Oi, John," said Gojyo.

John was startled. "Mr. Sha," he said, looking like he would rather be dead. Like he did yesterday. _Not on my watch, buddy_, thought Gojyo. At least he had more color, and he didn't look like he was going to keel over from drowsiness.

He handed him one of the warm Styrofoam cups in his hands. "Here, I got you some coffee."

"Thank you." He accepted it with both hands, and then stared into the steaming dark liquid.

"So," Gojyo said as he spun a chair around with his free hand to straddle it, "what did the doctor say?"

John continued to stare at the liquid. "Physically I should be able to leave today. Mentally, I need to stay until they've decided that I'm no longer a threat to myself…and others."

"Is that right? Sorry, Dude. Looks like I got you stuck here."

John looked up. "Oh no, Gojyo. I'm very grateful that you suggested I was mentally unstable, because quite frankly, I think you're right."

Gojyo laughed. "So you're a nutcase, huh?"

"Without a doubt."

"Tell me," Gojyo said then taking a sip of the warm liquid. "How's it like? Being crazy and all."

John looked at him intently. "Like trying to keep hold of something wet and feeling it as it slips away from my hands."

Gojyo started to laugh heartily. "Wet in your hands huh? That's the kind of imagery I like."

John looked embarrassed, but he had a smile on his face for the first time. "It's easier right now. Holding on to my sanity, that is." John was looking directly into his eyes, narrowed as if transfixed by something. "The color of your eyes…"

Gojyo violently broke away from the staring contest. "I know!" Gojyo interrupted. "They're red. 'Such a unique color, red'. How did I get this color? You may ask. No, they're not contacts. And while we're at it let's talk about my hair, shall we?"

John looked horrified. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sha! It was rude of me!"

Gojyo regarded the man. He was genuinely sorry. He took a sip of the coffee before putting it down on the nightstand. Shook his head and said, "Nah! I should be the one 'pologizing. Didn't mean to go off on you like that. Just have a little issue with the color of my hair and eyes. You wouldn't have known."

John went back to regard his coffee.

"Hey, I brought a pack of cards. Do you play poker?"

John smiled, "I have to warn you, Mr. Sha. I'm pretty good."

"Oh, I doubt you can beat me." Gojyo grinned. "I gamble for a living."

--

John was at the hospital only two more days afterwards, and then they released him. They had suggested that he start therapy and see a psychiatrist, but John didn't have any money and without a true identity it was difficult for him to get any help from the County. Although Gojyo felt those types of things were important, he didn't offer to help him out in that department, since it was him that paid for they guy's hospital bill which was no drop in the bucket. He'll have to hall serious ass at the casinos if he wanted to keep eating. He just hoped the guy does okay without therapy or more medication.

"Oi John!" said Gojyo as he entered his hospital room. It was his discharge day and he wanted to wish him off. He had thought to bring him something, but he couldn't think of what to give to another guy so he decided to screw it.

"Gojyo!" he said. He was smiling, but it seemed forced somehow. The clothes that John came to the hospital with were too damaged and stained beyond saving, so he had no choice but to wear something from donation, which was the ugliest outfit Gojyo ever seen. His pants were too short and his shirt was baggy with a gaudy print in front. He could tell that John didn't care for it either. "You've come to see me off!"

"Of course! No one can say that Gojyo Sha doesn't follow through."

Although pathetic looking, John gave a genuine smile which made Gojyo happy. They talked for a bit as they waited for the volunteer to come with the wheelchair. It was nice to talk to John. He didn't care that John had a fake smile most of the time, which, by the way, was a little creepy. He was a really smart guy and liked to pull shit out of his ass. John also genuinely enjoyed his company. He never really knew anyone like him, and he would definitely miss him.

"Wouldn't it be a pleasure if Nurse Yaone were here to send me off?" John said.

"Oh, yes. That hotty certainly is a pleasure in so many ways."

John laughed. "Gojyo! You didn't!"

Gojyo gave a sly grin. "Nah. That one is married. Even I wouldn't go that far. Although I hear her old man is a real dirtbag. So maybe."

"Gojyo?" he said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you save me? I mean you don't know anything about me."

"Life was getting boring, I guess. That's why I saved you."

"Oh, I see. A daredevil."

The wheelchair came. John still had a little difficulty sitting and standing up, but the doctor said that a couple of months at home should bring him back to normal.

The sun was bright as Gojyo helped him out of the wheelchair at the front of the hospital. It was a little busy with the recent discharges and cars and families that waited for them. John looked at them with a plastic smile, and Gojyo was a little concerned.

"Okay, John, so this is it."

"Yes, Gojyo. I am grateful to you and all that you have done for me. I wished there were some way I can repay you."

"Think nothing of it. Take care!" he said as he started to walk to the bus stop. He thought as he walked, looking at cement bright from the afternoon sun. His paced slowed until he stopped. Looked back and saw John still standing where he left him, his paper bag of medications in his hand, watching the families with that plastic smile. Ah, hell. He headed back to the man.

"Gojyo? Is there something the matter?"

"Do you have someplace to go?" Gojyo asked.

"Ummm…" he said a little embarrassed. "This is so unlike me, but I really don't have any plans."

"You can stay at my place if you like."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"Nah. It'll be my pleasure."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Thank you Cyh for catching my little Styrofoam error. Thank you everyone for reviewing._

_Update 4-24-08 Totally revamped this chapter, and I'm quite happy with its transformation. Must give mad credit to the beta reader. Dang girl knows a lot about story writing!_

--

Cindy Calhoun, age 16, sat across from Sanzo in the interview room. Her blond hair was teased mercilessly and her make-up was too heavy. Her skimpy violet outfit also left little to the imagination. She had the typical little-girl-gone-wrong Las Vegas story look about her. She probably hated her family life somewhere in Little Town, USA. Most likely abused, too. So, she decided to run away to make it big time as a dancer in Las Vegas only to discover that she didn't have what it took. That left either returning home to her hated life or becoming a prostitute." She probably hated her family life somewhere in Little Town, USA, most likely abused, so she runs away to make it big time as a dancer in Las Vegas, only to discover that she didn't have what it took so she became a prostitute. She wasn't saying it, but Sanzo knew.

She had been driving the red mustang, which was seen leaving the Hyakugenmaoh bombing; a patrol officer just brought her in last night.

Cindy reported that Hyakugenmaoh's men had kidnapped her off the street around a little over a month ago. They had used her as a sex slave, selling her services to high paying customers. She said that she was moved around a lot, but the last location she was kept at was in an abondoned building near the strip. She was kept in a cage with another girl that "cried and prayed a lot".

"They were pretty brutal 'cause she begged too much. Well after awhile she didn't do much of anything. Sleep mostly. Like she gave up or something." Cindy's knee bounced as she talked, eyes darting frequently to the door.

Kanan Cho, Gonou's sister/live-in girlfriend was also missing.

"Did you get her name?" Sanzo asked.

"Yeah, but not from her. Her boyfriend came. That man," she pointed at the picture of Gonou Cho that Sanzo had showed her earlier in the interview, "called her Kanan." So it was Kanan. Hyakugenmaoh must have kidnapped her. That was Gonou's motive for the bombing. Sanzo wrote down "motive Kanan" upon the yellow legal pad upon the table in front of him.

"Hmmm…" Sanzo said.

"He was completely covered in blood. It was pretty scary." Her eyes continued to stare at the door as if the suspect would suddenly burst through.

"What happened next?"

She pulled at her hair, mindlessly. "Well, Kanan stabbed herself with her boyfriend's knife, then the head guy, he had blue hair-"

"That would be Chin Yisou, the don's son." Sanzo scratched another note on the pad.

"Ah huh. Well he stabs Kanan's boyfriend, and then her boyfriend stabbed him back before taking off."

"Hmmm… What happened next?"

"Then after everyone was finished stabbing each other, I used the knife to pick the lock and got out."

"Ah huh," Sanzo said.

"When as I was trying to leave the building, I noticed that everyone was dead. Must have been 100 people in that building. It freaked me out. That's why I stole the car. It's not like they weren't asking for it to be stolen. The keys were in there and everything."

Sanzo stared at the number he wrote on the pad. 100 by one man and a knife. If he hadn't seen him in action on the tape, he wouldn't have believed it. Even on speed, he doubt a normal man could have accomplished as much in one night.

Cindy watched Sanzo expectantly.

"Anything else?"

"Oh, yeah. I saw Kanan's boyfriend at the front of the building. He looked dead to me, but he got pretty far considering how badly hurt he was."

Outside of the building. He had to be spotted, so he was either at the coroner's or at a hospital.

"Are you going to let me go now?" she asked hopefully.

"No."

"What?! But I told you everything!"

"I never said that I'd let you go. The judge will figure out what to do with you."

"You asshole!"

--

Goku sat, leaning the chair back in Sanzo's dark office. His feet were propped up on the desk, and his head rested on his hands as he watched the others work beyond the large windows of the office. Normally the noise of the outside was muffled by thick glass and wood, but Goku liked the door open so that he can hear the sounds of others. Brisk strides across the room, phones ringing, clicking on keyboards, talking low and serious, laughing at another's joke. It soothed him and he smiled.

Goku had been eating breakfast and watching Saturday cartoons when decided to visit Sanzo. Luckily, he was at headquarters and not out investigating. Detective Ramerez told him that he was in an interrogation room, and Sanzo always returned to his office before heading out. So Goku waited.

He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the smell of cigarettes and old building. Despite the dark and dinginess, he liked being in Sanzo's office. At home the rooms were so spacious and brightly lit that a person's essence hardly had time to linger before open windows and busy maids took it away. Here he felt most intimate with Sanzo.

He lifted out of the seat briefly to pull out the comic book that he left in his back pocket and started to read it.

Whack. He felt the familiar sting at the back of his head and he rubbed at it.

"Ow," he said, looking up to see Sanzo as he put the paper fan back into his jacket. "What was that for?"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to put your shoes on my desk." He was angry. Again.

"Sorry, Sanzo," he said, his head still stinging, "I forgot."

"Get up. I've got work to do." He stood up, continuing to rub his head. Damn, he didn't have to hit so hard.

Goku noticed that Sanzo was on MapQuest. So he'll be going out.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"None of your business," he said curtly. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Saturday, and I'm bored."

"Why don't you visit a friend or watch TV or do what other teenagers do on a Saturday."

"Can I go with you?"

Sanzo didn't answer right away, which was good. He was looking at him intently as if making a decision. Please please please, thought Goku. "Fine," he said and went back to the computer. Yes! And Goku grinned so wide, his teeth could have fallen out. He suppressed the urge to yell out and jump upon the desk, since Sanzo hated it when Goku was loud in his office, and he didn't want him to change his mind. More than anything, he loved going out with Sanzo.

--

Sanzo drove to the location where Cindy reported that the homicidal teacher had added another hundred to his all-night killing spree. Textbook case, thought Sanzo, although he was sure Gonou Cho held the record in the amount of deaths per minute. He had wondered why Gonou Cho had stopped killing abruptly, and now he knew. He was apparently dead or injured, hopefully the former. This guy was definitely going to get the death penalty. It seemed almost like a waste of time and taxpayer money to bring him in. The system was overloaded enough as it was.

The building was completely deserted. No trace that there had been anyone there, not to mention the massacre of a fully staffed illegal sex slave operation. Hyakugenmaoh must have cleaned up, which meant that the mafia was still in operation. Althoutgh, judging by the numbres lost, Sanzo surmised that it was only a matter of time before rival gangs took advantage of their weaken state and whip them out completely.

Serves them right, thought Sanzo. Messing with a school teacher.

Sanzo telephoned Al to check out the abandoned building and conduct the standard procedure of combing the dessert, the mafia's favorite place to dump bodies. He then started to ask around if anyone saw anything the night of the massacre. At the nearby casino, the bartender reported that a regular by the name of Gojyo Sha had used the phone to call for an ambulence. Ambulence and not police, which meant that he might have found survivors. He could have found Gonou Cho himself, considering he was outside the building when last seen. Sanzo got into the car to drive to the nearest hospital.

"Are we going after the homicidal school teacher?" asked Goku.

"Yes," said Sanzo.

"Awesome!" and started to talk excited about something or other.

Sanzo smiled slightly. He would never admit it, but he did sometimes enjoy having Goku around while he worked. He has always been so focused and driven, even before his father was murdered. It was always because he wanted to impress his father, to make him proud. Then after he died, it was so that he could become a detective and find his father's murderers. It was like he never had a childhood.

Through Goku he did. Goku talked about stupid stuff: sports, friends, food, comicbooks, TV. They were trivial but somehow it made Sanzo's world a little wider. He was now talking about UFC, his favorite thing to watch on TV, where contestants fight each other in a caged ring with very few rules. Goku talked about his all time dream to become a UFC fighter and the different contestants he would fight. Poor blokes wouldn't have a chance against the Monkey.

"Ooo! But it would totally be awesome if I fought the homecidal school teacher."

"Yeah? Don't get your hopes up."

"Why not Sanzo? Maybe he'll want to join UFC after he gets out of prision. I'll suggest it to him when I see him."

"You're not going to see him, because you won't be around when I arrest him."

"Why not, Sanzo?" Sanzo bit back his irritation while flipping the turn signal on to hang a left at the next light. The kid could be so weird sometimes!

"Because you have the habit of not staying in the car when I tell you to."

"Awe! Sanzo, I promise I won't anymore. Promise."

"I said no."

"Please, Sanzo. Please. Come on, Sanzo."

"Monkey," Sanzo said, resisting the urge to grab his fan. It wasn't worth risking a car accident just to smack one on the kid. "If you don't shut up, I'm going to kill you."

"But Sanzo!"

The car swirved a little as Sanzo hit Goku with the fan.

--

Gonou shook his medication bottle as if by some miracle another pill would apear, but no. He looked at the last pill in his hand, popped it in his mouth and took a swig of water. It would probably take a week before the antidepressent was out of his system, but still it would be best that the dosage continued in an uninterupted manner. In order for that to happen, he would need money to buy more medication, which require his identity back. It was time for him to shed the protective shield that Gojyo had given him, and face the consequences. But first he was going to see Kanan to say goodbye. After that, turning himself over to the authorities should be easy.

He stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in Gojyo's clothes of course, so that he could start his day. Gojyo's mobile home was very small and going from one room to another took turning around and one step. One bathroom, one bedroom, a living area, and a kitchen. There was only one bed, so Gojyo insisted on sleeping on the couch. Last night, however, he had passed out from drinking, so Gonou had put him into the bedroom and the strenuous activity of lifting the taller man into bed was trying on his injuries. Somehow, he was able to do it. He wouldn't have been able to do it at all when he first left the hospital several weeks ago. It was hard to imagine how much had changed in such a small amount of time. Gojyo's house in particular had seen a drastic change. It had been in a pitiful state when he'd first arrived. The trash cans were overfilled, dishes in the sink sported mold, the refridgerator had the same and layers of dust were everywhere. Gonou had been in a state of shock, never having lived in such unacceptable conditions. How Gojyo could be just fine with his home in that state was beyond shocking. So he cleaned the place up. Maybe he should have asked a head of time, but somethings just needed to be done. Gojyo's steady diet of fastfood and Ramen also wasn't acceptable, so he started cooking. He was embarrassed asking for money for groceries, but somethings were worth the money.

Gonou decided to start breakfast for himself. Considering how late Gojyo was up the night before, Gonou doesn't expect him up until late in the afternoon. Gonou, however, wanted to start his day early and make sure everything that can be taken cared of in the house was taken cared of before he left. He wanted to make a few entrees that Gojyo can have later in the week, using whatever groceries he hadn't used. Lord knew Gojyo wouldn't use them otherwise. He would freeze it and leave detailed instructions as to how to prepare it. He also wanted to finish all the little repairs in the house that he had started. The bathroom sink still wasn't draining and the back burner on the stove wasn't heating evenly.

Today he was also going to be saying goodbye to Gojyo. Gojyo was really a good guy through and through, and this was why Gonou wanted to make sure he was well off before he left. He didn't have much, but he decided that when he went to prision he would give Gojyo all of his savings. Even if by some miracle he was paroled, he would rather start over anyway. The money he had earned in his previous life was all for Kanan, and his new life would only be for him and as far as he knew, it was worth nothing.

After Gonou finished breakfast, he went outside to fetch the garbage receptors. Then he looked through the refridgerator and cabinets. For lunch today he would make sandwiches, for dinner meatloaf, and the extra entrees would be strogonoff and pot roast. He pulled out the meat, then proceeded to wash and cut vegetables.

By the time Gojyo woke up, hair tossled, eyes drowsy and still wearing the pants he wore the night before, the house was warm with cooking and the smell of spices teased the appetite. Gojyo stood near the kitchen as if trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hey," he said groggily.

"Good morning, Gojyo, or should I say good afternoon," said Gonou as he started the coffee. "Would you like turkey sandwich for lunch?"

"Sure. Thanks," he said as he sat at the table. He then started to rub his eye with the heal of his palm as if willing himself to wake up. "Ugh. Tell me never to drink that vodka shit ever again. Wait," he said suddenly, "was it vodka? Did I get laid?"

"No Gojyo, you didn't. You passed out at the door before entering. The young lady you brought didn't seem too pleased about that."

"Aw man," groaned Gojyo as Gonou placed a mug of coffee in front of him. "Clarice will be pissed off for a week."

Gonou laughed. "I'm sure you'll find someone else to occupy your time." He had finished the sandwiches and placed a plate in front of Gojyo.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I woke you." He took a sip of coffee.

Gonou place a plate on the table for himself and sat across from Gojyo. "No, I was awake already."

"Yeah? And what time did you wake up this morning?"

Gonou shrugged, and started to eat. The bread soft, tomato riped just perfectly, and lettuce gave a statisfying crunch.

"So you're going," said Gojyo bluntly.

Gonou placed his sandwich down, finished chewing, and swallowed. He had planned on telling him after he had finished all he needed to do around the house, so Gojyo had caught him by surprise. "Yes, Gojyo."

"Not that it's any of my business, but do you have somewhere to go?"

"Yes I do… Gojyo, I have to tell you something."

"Yeah?"

"I've murdered a lot of people." Gojyo didn't react. "The Hyakugenmaoh mafia had kidnapped the only woman I've ever loved. She was probably the only person I ever _will_ love. I selfishly justified killing all those people, and in the end she took her own life. Now I'm ready to turn myself in and face the consequences. But before I do, I want to see where Kanan died. I want to give you my savings, becauwse I don't think I will be needing it. You have given me so much, much more than money can ever repay."

"Hyakugenmaoh?"

"Yes."

"Don't turn yourself in. Hyakugenmaoh rules the prision. Turning yourself in would be suicide."

"I have to, Gojyo. I have to attone for my sins."

Gojyo ran his fingers in his hair as he leaned back in his chair. "Sins, huh? Well, I think you're being an idiot, but it's your choice." He stood up and went into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Gonou regarded the untouched sandwich and took another bite of his own._ How unlike him_, thought Gonou.

--

Sanzo was talking to the ICU nurse, Yaone. She was young for someone in her position, probably an overabitious genius as he was. Dark circles under sorrowful violet eyes belied her youthful and pleasant exterior. She had a weariness about her as if she had seen more of her share and was at the edge of breakingdown.

She stood behind the nurse's desk with a chart and pen in her hands. Goku was standing at his back with his hands behind his head, his stance relaxed as he looked at the paintings on the wall.

"Gojyo Sha. I know him." She smiled, then looked intently into her chart. "He's admitted here quite often. Gets into a lot of scraps I'm afraid."

"Has he brought anyone in here recently?"

"Yes, Mr. John Chiu. Such a nice man, Mr. Chiu," she said distracted as she reached behind her to lift another chart to write in.

"What was he in for?"

"Knife wound," she mumbled as she scribbled something in the chart.

"Knife wound? Was it reported?"

"Reported?" she paused, innocently putting her finger upon her chin as she pretended to think. Sanzo can could feel the vein pop starting to throb on his forehead. She had covered for him, but for what reason Sanzo didn't know.

"Do you have any idea what may have happened?" he gritted out.

"Oh, I didn't ask. Mr. Sha gets them quite regularly. I figure there must have been a friendly fight, and Mr. Chiu was accidently stabbed?"

"Do you realize how ridiculus you sound?"

"I do now," she said pleasantly.

Sanzo showed her the picture of Gonou Cho. "Is this Mr. Chiu?"

"Yes. That's him."

"His real name is Gonou Cho. He's a suspect in a recent bombing."

"Bombing?!" Yaone's eyes widened and she visably became pale. Sanzo regarded her reaction with narrowed eyes.

"You've heard of it."

"Uhh…yes… It was in the news," she recovered. Sanzo continued to regard her, thinking briefly. Sanzo continued to study her suspiciously. She was connected, but how? He thought over several scenarios briefly before deciding on his next course of action.

"Get me his chart," he said, "and I'll forget that you didn't report the wound."

"Certainly," she said and left the nurse's station to walk down the hall.

Sanzo turned and found that Goku was no longer behind him but down the hall by the food cart. "Goku! Don't eat that!"

"But I'm starving!"

"Goku! If I have to go down there, I'll kill you!"

"But Sanzo!"

"Damn it, monkey,-!"

"Excuse me, Detective, but please don't yell in my IC unit." The nurse had returned with Cho's chart. He took it from her. Placing it on the nurse's station, he started to flip through it. Cho was transferred to the psych ward. He also used Sha as an emergency contact. No telephone number. Sanzo pulled out his notepad and pen and wrote down Sha's address. He flipped the folder close.

"Monkey! We're going!"

"Okay!" he said between mouthfuls, his pockets full of packaged sandwiches and pudding cups.

"Dammit, monkey!" Sanzo started to whack him multiple times over the head. "I told you not to eat it!"

--

At the front of the hospital, Sanzo telephoned headquarters. It turned out that his suspicions were correct. Sha had a criminal record. He also had some connections to gang activity in both the L. A. and Las Vegas area, including Hyakugenmaoh. No direct affiliations with any one gang though. It looked like mostly small jobs, things that the big bosses wouldn't bother dirtying their hands with.

Sanzo looked at Sha's address on his notepad. "Get me the directions from Mt. Helen hospital to 5389 Enmasse Street. Goku! Write this down." He threw the pad and pen to the boy. Goku wrote while Sanzo recited. He then telephoned the house, "Mario. Pick up Goku at Mt. Helen Hospital's front parking lot."

"What?! Why, Sanzo?" asked Goku.

Sanzo put the phone in his jacket and took the pad and pen from Goku. "Because Sha's a known criminal and I don't need you getting out of the car and mucking things up. CPS is already up my ass as it is." He started to walk to the car.

"But Sanzo!"

"I'll be home for dinner."

"'Bye," said Goku to Sanzo's receding back.

--

Goku sat on the hard cement planter at the front of the hospital waiting for the limo, the smell of dirt and plant thick around him. He had his crumbled comic book and was fruitlessly attempting to read it. It was no use. He couldn't stop worrying about Sanzo. He'd never worried about Sanzo before and he didn't know why he was now. Sanzo was a good cop. The best in Las Vegas! So why was he having this funny feeling in his stomach?

He was hungry. Yeah, that was it! Going home meant he was going to eat. Yah!

He went back to his comic book with a smile on his face. There were superheroes flying through the air in colorful tights fighting super villains in black. They were blasting each other with colorful streams of blue and red from their hands and eyes. _Awesome._ He especially liked it when there was hand-to-hand combat. He scanned to the next panel. Two characters were having a midair fist fight. A villain in a black mask punched a superhero, causing the body to hurtle and crash through a nearby building.

Goku's heart skipped a beat and his smile faded away. It was Sanzo that hit the building. Except he wasn't rising with debris falling from his cape as the comic book character did. He was dead, in a heap. Eyes wide and lifeless. Arms limp around him and head tilted in an awkward manner.

_Sanzo._

The homicidal teacher could be where Sanzo was going. He remembered watching the teacher on the TV screen that rainy night. He was fast. Much faster than Sanzo. And he had killed someone.

Goku looked around the parking lot and didn't see the limo. He then tried to remember the directions he had written on the pad for Sanzo. It wasn't too far that he couldn't walk. A bus ride would have been better, but he wasn't familiar with the bus routes in this area.

He thought some more. More thinking than he liked. He made his decision and started to walk to the main street.

He would rather Sanzo be mad than dead.


	7. Chapter 7

_Note: I'm writing this fic as if the original never happened. So this is not a reincarnation fic per say, but there may be incidents of reincarnation._

_Update 5-4-08: This chapter has been revamped. Thank you beta reader!_

--

_Man, John has a serious OCD problem_, thought Gojyo as he leaned on the kitchen counter smoking and mindlessly flipping his butterfly knife. The metal sung and clanked against each other, flipping up, down, against his arm, in graceful circles. He listened to John move about the house and talk with his soft voice about how to prepare meals and what to do with this and how to take care of that. _What was the big deal?_ Gojyo never thought much of those things. He never thought much of his house in general. To him it was someplace to sleep. As long as it kept him dry it was perfect, but John had the uncanny ability to hone in on what was wrong and try to fix it. It was annoying.

John was also expensive. Always asking for money to buy groceries. Granted, the food he made was 100 times taster than he'd ever eaten at a restaurant, but it was a luxury he could barely afford. And to be honest, food for him was like his house. If it kept him fed, it was perfect. But still… it made John happy for some reason. And it made Gojyo happy as well, although he couldn't figure out why. So, he gambled like crazy and looked for extra work just so John can cook.

Now that he was leaving, he wished that he wouldn't. And not only because John really wasn't that annoying or that much trouble. Hell, it wasn't even because he was actually pretty good company either. It was because what he was planning to do was straight up stupid. Turning himself in was a death sentence. Even if he actually GOT the death sentence, Hyakugenmaoh was going to get to him first. It was straight stupidity. And here he thought he was a smart guy.

Silent all of a sudden, Gojyo realized that John had stopped talking and was waiting for a reply to a question that Gojyo hadn't heard.

"What?" asked Gojyo.

"I said do you do martial arts?" John pointed to his knife.

"Martial arts? You mean that pansy-ass dance-y shit that some guys pass off as fighting?"

"Yes. Although, not in so many words."

"Nah. What I do is good old fashion brawling. Nothing artsy with what I do. Taught myself to do it too and did pretty well with it. Kept me alive growing up and made me some money."

John's eyebrows furrowed and his green eyes took on a harder edge to them, something that looked a little like cold disapproval. It took Gojyo only a couple of seconds to catch onto why that look was being tossed his way.

"No! I wasn't a thug! Beating up weak people leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I street fight. I'm the best in the LA and Las Vegas area. I've fought against martial artists with all their training and lessons, and I still beat them up."

"I wonder if you could beat me if we spared."

"What? Are you a martial artist?" John nodded. "Well, I thought so. You do have that pansy dance-y-ness about you."

John laughed. "Oh, I don't know. It can be quite effective if used correctly."

"Yeah. We can 'spar' if you want, although I have to warn you, I've never fought anyone without the intention of seriously hurting them."

"Oh. I'd like to see you try."

Gojyo grinned. "Let's go then."

"No." John's smile faded. "Not now. I have to finish some things around the house," he said before he turned to wrap the dishes in tin foil.

"Do you really? Shit." Gojyo draped a lazy arm over John's shoulders, which stiffened with surprise. "You have some serious issues. You're not even going to be here."

"But you will be, and I just want to make sure everything will be alright when I'm gone."

"Don't worry about me. I've been doing dandy before all that shit. You should be enjoying your last day of freedom."

John shook his head as he wrote something on a pad of paper.

"If that's what you want." Gojyo moved from him to leave the room.

"Gojyo."

"Hmm?"

"Do you still street fight?"

"Not lately, and with the recent Hyakugenmaoh massacre, probably not for a long time. They host most of the events in Las Vegas." He was about to leave, but thought of something else. "Did you know that the hospital you stayed at is actually where they send me to get fixed up after a fight, even if the event is clear across town. I think Hyakugenmaoh runs it. Nurse Yaone is married to the mafia, you know."

"What?!" John exclaimed.

"Yeah. A real jerk off. Too bad he survived. I think he's the new Don now."

John stood frozen over the counter. Gojyo narrowed his eyes as the pieces began to come together. "You did it, didn't you? That day I found you. You? killed all those people."

The expression on John's face was one of a guilty man having been singled out, fearful as if it would be Gojyo delivering his punishment.

Gojyo put his hands up. "Look, man. They were a bunch of assholes anyways. As far as I know, you did the world a favor."

"Gojyo, Nurse Yaone could have been one of them. Can you imagine her deserving to die?"

Gojyo was silent. The kitchen felt too small and clean all of a sudden. Not knowing what to say he looked back at the dull metal of his knife.

"I'm going to go work on the bathroom," John said, leaving the food on the counter.

"John."

"Yes?" He paused looking back.

"When you're done, meet me outside and we'll spar, okay?"

John's face softened. "That would be fine," he said.

--

Gojyo stepped outside. There was a little wind and the clouds were gathering. He stepped down and then leaned against the dilapidated siding of his home, smoking and looking at the horizon. He lived in the outskirts of town, but he can still see the casinos where he stood. He exhaled. Tonight, he'd definitely see if he could get laid.

A white car drew up in front of his house and a man with blond hair and hard violet eyes stepped out. He was wearing a gray pinstriped suit and black tie. Definitely rich looking. He wondered what the guy wanted.

Black dress shoes stepped on dying grass toward him. "Are you Gojyo Sha?"

"Yeah?" asked Gojyo.

"I'm Detective Sanzo Genjyo. I'm looking for a Gonou Cho."

_Detective huh?_ Gojyo reflexively looked towards the door and found the detective following his gaze. _Smart move, idiot._ "Gonou Cho? Never heard of him."

"He was the man you saved. Also known as John Chiu."

"Sorry, man. I'll like to help you, but…" He shrugged, palms up.

The detective started toward the front door. Gojyo stopped him by clamping a hand on his shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

The detective's eyes narrowed. "Let go of me," he growled, jerking away from his grip.

Just then, John stepped out of the house.

The detective pulled his gun out of his jacket to point at John. Without thinking, Gojyo swung and knocked it out of the detective's hand, the pistol creating a thud upon the hard ground a few feet away. With a look of surprise the detective scrambled for the gun, but Gojyo quickly tackled him face down into the dying grass. He had the lanky bastard pinned securely in a matter of seconds. Adrenaline pumped hard through his body and his heart was running a marathon.

"What the fuck are you doing, asshole?!" the detective growled between mouthfuls of dirt and grass.

"Run!" he shouted to John, the detective struggling below him, feeling thinner than he looked.

"What's going on?!" John stared back, stunned in disbelief.

Gojyo tightened his grip on the detective's arm when the man tried to break free as he called over his shoulder, "Just get outta here, and fast!"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on," John demanded.

"Dammit, John! This is no time to have this type of conversation!" He was losing his grip, so he shifted to compensate.

"I'm not leaving!" he insisted.

_Geez, John, give a guy a break. _He couldn't tell him that the man he was wrestling with was a detective, because he would do something stupid like turn himself in. But wasn't hegoing to turn himself in anyway? Doesn't matter anymore. It's too late to back out now._ Come on brain. Think of something to tell him so that he would leave already._

--

Sanzo was pissed. He was lying in the dirt, one arm twisted behind him, and an asshole was pushing his face into the ground. At least the idiots were arguing and not noticing that he was using his free arm to reach for the syringe of tranquilizer in his jacket pocket. Ever since he became Goku's guardian, a paper fan wasn't the only thing he tried to keep with him at all times. In addition to the syringe, he also kept a tranquilizer gun in the car. He never knew when he would need to subdue Goku's alter ego, and he didn't want to rely on praying to get the job done.

He felt for the hard plastic and pulled it out carefully, moving the cover off of the needle using the grass. Twisting his arm in an awkward position, he stabbed into the mass above him, plunging the medication in as far as his position would allow him, which wasn't that much, but a little would suffice, considering how the whole syringe could put out an elephant.

"Ow!" yelped Sha looking down. "What the fu-" His words slurred and he collapse on top of Sanzo. Damn, he was heavy. Sanzo pushed the body off of him and sat up, spying Cho looking both shocked and panicked at the same time. His mouth was gapped open and his eyes were wide staring at Sha's unmoving body.

Hmmm… This might not be good.

"Gonou Cho," he started as he struggled to stand. Just then he glimpsed movement and dodged a flying fist before having to move quickly to avoid a follow up kick. Fuck. Cho was attacking him, and he was fast. He couldn't even tell what Cho was throwing at him. He used every ounce of self control to narrow in and focus. Every movement, he somehow dodged, but for how long could he keep it up? He was barely keeping track of the blows. Every escape was much more narrower than the last. When one finally did connect with him, Sanzo found himself reeling from the explosion of force. His body careened off a building, and the world was unsteady. His body shocked with a pain so sharp and consuming it felt like he'd been electrocuted. He pulled himself up but was a moment too late. His arm clipped on a strike and he found himself spinning. Then a blow was delivered to the head and the world started to fall away, crashing to the ground. Dark clouds were moving in behind the outlines of the buildings, causing the unclear image of the man approaching him to vanish briefly. He watched helpless as the dark blurring figure towered over him.

"Nyoi-Boi extend!" called out someone. Red spear pushed the shadow of Cho out of sight as the darkness took him completely.

--

"Nyoi-Boi return!" yelled Goku as if by instinct, like a staff that extends and retracts on command was something that always occurred. A breeze kicked up and blew at his orange windbreaker. He skillfully spun the staff around him, eyes focused on the dark haired man struggling to stand. The weight of the wood familiar, a part of him, as he positioned it behind, left hand forward and stance ready. "I won't let you hurt Sanzo!" yelled Goku then waited for him to attack.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: If it seems like my writing is improving it is because of wonderful beta reading._

--

Sanzo's head was throbbing and his body was sore all over. There was a rapid pattering sound like rain pounding on asphalt. He hated the rain. But sound was disjointed, pausing occasionally as if to rest then starting up in rapid succession only to rest again. And then there were the occasional crashing sounds as if the area was under enemy attack. The smell of dirt filled his nostrils and immediately he sat up, trying to remember where he was. He had been in the middle of arresting Gonou Cho but he had been attacked, causing him to black out. He was surprised that he was still alive and wondered why. He managed to push himself up on his elbow, pausing as the world began to spin and sway. It was while in this position did he realize that the sounds of pattering and crashing were actually caused by two individuals fighting with frightening speed and strength.

Goku!

He felt the familiar heat of anger bubble up from inside. That ape was supposed to be home, but instead he was battling it out against a lunatic. He struggled to stand up and was about to call out when he caught the look in Goku's face.

He was smiling.

This caused him to freeze in mid movement. He had finally found a worthy opponent and Goku was genuinely enjoying himself.

Instead of forcing himself to stand, he decided to instead move toward the wall of a nearby building so that he could sit up properly and give his head a chance to catch up with the rest of his body. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, taking in a deep hit that helped to warm his throat and chest.

The area looked like a war zone. Vehicles were damaged, windows and walls broken, and debris was scattered all around. He wondered where the residents were. He was sure he had seen some as he'd driven up. Could it be that they ran away? Hell, HE would have ran away if it wasn't his job to be there and if it wasn't Goku that was fighting. He was sure that someone must have called the police by now, but even if they didn't he decided he wouldn't be the one to do it.

He watched the fight, feeling strangely like he was watching one of Goku's hockey games, except he was actually interested. Goku had a distinct advantage. It was plain to see. Although Cho was conservative and smart with his movements, Goku had a quicker recovery time and a stick that provided a wider range. Cho was also injured; his stance was pained, holding on to his midsection as if he was trying to keep his insides from falling out. Oh, no doubt, the monkey would win this one. He took another drag, feeling the nicotine take its effect and clearing his head.

Sanzo heard a groan and realized that Sha was just recovering from unconsciousness, his body shifting.

_Break's over_. He put out his cigarette on the grass. He stood up, head still throbbing but the dizziness was gone. He picked up his gun laying in the dry dirt and walked over to the man who had propped himself up and was struggling to sit. Sanzo released the safety, making a satisfying metallic click. "Not so fast, asshole," he said, gun to the head.

Sanzo then realized that the fighting had stopped. An eerie silence settled around him.

"Please," said Cho, "don't kill him." His soft voice carried despite the distance between them. Cho had a hand to his abdomen and concern etched in every feature. Goku was behind him, holding his stick and looking curiously at what caused his opponent to suddenly stop fighting.

"I'm not going to kill him, stupid. I'm going to arrest him for assaulting an officer."

"An officer?" Realization dawned upon him.

"Yes. And you're under arrest too." Sanzo announced, aiming the gun at Cho, who raised his arms up but continued to hunch forward as if in pain.

"There's been a big misunderstanding," he said.

"Tell that to the judge." Sanzo threw handcuffs towards Goku, who caught it with one hand, metal clicking together. "Goku! Cuff him."

"Okay, Sanzo." Just then there were sounds of sirens and flashing lights as police cars surrounded them.

Sanzo ignored the commotion. He used his second pair of handcuffs (damn, he kept a lot of stuff) to restrain Sha's hands behind him. Sanzo pulled him to his feet, heavy and unsteady, leaning precariously forward.

"Goku?" said a gruff officer with five o'clock shadow and potbelly getting out of his vehicle. Goku hesitantly waved at the officer from behind Cho, looking as if he was caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. "Genjyo, this is child endangerment!"

"Shut up. He followed me." He disregarded the officer as he walked passed, struggling to keep the larger man upright and moving straight.

"Here, Goku, I'll take him," the officer offered kindly as he approached the boy.

"No," barked Sanzo. "You check the residents. I'll take them in."

The officer still took Cho anyway but led him to Sanzo's car. "You know, you're a real prick, Genjyo."

"I love you too," said Sazno closed the door behind Sha before he had a chance to slide out onto the street.

"Take care, Goku," said the officer as Goku got into the front seat of Sanzo's car.

"Bye," said Goku quietly, before he closed he door, looking at the scene before him. The other officers have already started to talk to neighbors, who stood in their yards in house robes and wife beaters.

Sanzo started the car and drove off. Although it wasn't quite evening, the dark clouds had completely taken over the sky, creating a shadow over the world. The limited light causing the grass and flowers to vibrate with their own energy. No one was out. Even as houses and condos gave way to business buildings and casinos there were very few pedestrians. They were probably staying home, thinking it would rain. Goku was quiet for once. His child-like face was uncharacteristically twisted in thought, as if a question were on the verge of erupting. Sanzo just hoped it would be a stupid question.

"Are you in trouble Sanzo? Cuz I was there?" he finally asked. His eyes were almost brown in the dim light, large and round with concern. Child Protective Services had a file on Goku and had come to interview them several times. Sanzo wasn't concerned. They were so overworked and overwhelmed that only the most serious cases were ever pursued, and Goku's case was nowhere close. Goku, however, was too stupid to know this.

"No. I won't be getting rid of you that easy," he said tersely, hoping it would be enough to end any further discussion. Sanzo continued to drive, but he could feel another question rising from the boy.

"Are you mad at me?" Dammit.

He brought the car to a stop at the next red light, allowing a family to walk across the street in front of them. A boy in a baseball uniform was holding a bat while picking on his little sister, a father carrying lawn chairs and a mother with a bag following behind them. "No. But if you do it again, I'll kill you."

Goku grinned. "Okay, Sanzo."

Stupid monkey.

The family finished crossing and Sanzo continued to drive into town when he suddenly remembered something. "What did you do with the stick you were using?"

"Huh?" Goku said as he looked into his empty palm. "Nyoi-Boi," he said. There was a crash as the stick appeared out of thin air, breaking the passenger's window and obscuring Sanzo's view of the road. The car swerved almost hitting another vehicle.

"Stupid monkey!" he said, shocked and irritated at the same time. "Don't do that when I'm driving!"

"Sorry, Sanzo." And the stick disappeared. "Huh? It's gone. Nyoi-Boi," he said again and again the stick obscured Sanzo's vision but he was able to look around it. "Hey! Cool!" Goku yelled.

Sanzo clutched the stirring wheel, resisting the urge to get his gun and give CPS something to really worry about. "Monkey, do you want to die?" he said through clenched teeth.

"What the fuck?!" said Sha harshly from behind, sitting forward in astonishment, his voice booming in Sanzo's ear, causing the pounding in his head to escalate. Apparently the tranquilizer had worn off. "How the fuck are you doing that?"

Goku shrugged and made the stick vanish once more.

Sha turned to Cho, "John, did you see that?" They entered the strip, lights sparkling all around them. Tourists in shorts and t-shirts were walking down the sidewalk, looking uncomfortable in the unexpected cold weather.

"It's Gonou," he said barely audible. Sanzo glanced back through the mirror at the melancholy looking man, the casino lights touching his features. Despite the sadness in his eyes, he looked as if he too had a burning desire to ask a stupid question. Must be contagious.

"Huh?" said Sha, flopping back and regarding his friend.

"Excuse me, officer," said Cho with utmost politeness. "I apologize for… assaulting you and your partner earlier."

Sanzo grunted. Here it comes.

"I know that I'm in no position to ask this, but I was wondering if you would let me visit Kanan before you turn me in. I promise I will not try to escape."

"He won't," offered Sha. "He wanted to turn himself in today. I fucked it up for him."

Sanzo met Cho's green eyes in the rearview. "We haven't been able to find your girlfriend, Cho," said Sanzo.

"I see," said Cho. He didn't seem surprised by this. Instead, it looked as if he had at least one more question he wanted to ask. This guy must truly be insane to think he would drive him to the crime scene.

Sanzo was at another light. A group of tourist stood gawking as a prostitute wearing violet strides up the street and passes them, reminding him of Cindy and her recount of Cho watching his loved one die in front of him.

Just as Sanzo had watched his.

The light turned green and he accelerated the car to the next light. As he decided to U-turn instead of going straight, he realized that _he_ must also be insane. After a few blocks, a turn, and a few more blocks, Sanzo parked in front of the abandoned building. There were police barrier tape crisscrossing the entrance, but he knew no one would be there.

"Thank you," Cho said, surprised.

"Make it quick," snapped Sanzo as he helped Cho out of the car. He said to Goku through the broken window, "You stay with Sha. If he does anything funny, whack him with your stick."

"Okay, Sanzo." Goku twisted around in his seat with his belt already off.

Sanzo grasped the man's arm to lead him into the dilapidated building with boards covering up its windows. A breeze blew trash and leaves by their feet and ruffled their hair. Cho stood unmoving. _What now?_ "If it won't be too much trouble," Cho said hesitantly. "I would like Gojyo to accompany me."

Sanzo looked up at Cho with disbelief. He was being serious. Sanzo placed fingers to his temple, and released an irritated sigh. "Sha, you're coming," he snapped. Sha scooted to the side, so that Sanzo could help him out, moving easily as if he had never drugged "Goku, you too."

"Okay, Sanzo," said the boy bounding out of the car to stand by him, looking eager.

"Summon your stick," ordered Sanzo. "Whack them if they do anything."

"Okay," said Goku. The stick materialized in his hand. Apparently he can make the weapon reappear without saying anything. It was heavy looking with solid brass balls at the ends yet Goku was carrying it as if it were a twig.

Sanzo took out his gun, knowing that it would look suspicious to an outsider. Although he was not one to care, he was glad that the streets were desolate or he would have really been irritated. "You two lead the way." He motioned to the handcuffed individuals.

The building was dark and musty, the gray light passing through gaps in the plywood from outside striping the ground. The light was dim, barely lighting the room as it peaked almost shyly in through the slits. Sanzo found the circuit breaker and turned on the electricity, causing the few working light fixtures to come to life, illuminating enough from tripping but dim enough to cast shadows around them. It had been a business office in its previous life. There was a lobby and a front desk. There was also an elevator, broken most likely.

Without speaking, they took the carpeted stairs that once been red. Cho was in front, Sha behind with Sanzo and Goku following close. It was a funeral procession, and even Goku knew not speak. Floor after floor they ascended, each level in a similar condition as the previous; vacant with the occasional piece of office furniture that had been abandoned. Finally they reached the desired floor. Cho stopped and turned without looking back to a large executive office, completely unfurnished. The red carpet reeked of mold and was crusted with grime. The gray sky could be seen from the uncovered window, a breeze whistled through broken glass. Cho fell onto his knees, causing dust to lift, and his head bowed facing a large square indent upon the ground. _This must have_ _been where the cage was_, thought Sanzo. Against better judgment, Sanzo put away his gun so that he could un-cuff Cho, then stood up to be with the rest behind him. There was no awkwardness in the room; only reverence and understanding as if they stood in a temple and not in a grimy abandoned building.

Sanzo recalled his father's funeral. The cavernous ceilings that formed a dome above him. The large statue of Buddha towering over the ceremony. Flowers, paintings, and ornate decorations all around. The smell of incense. He had been 13 years old, surrounded by his father's family and friends upon the worn carpet of the temple floor, listening to the priest chant. It had sounded like a song to him, as if to soothe the broken souls left behind.

"Should someone say something?" whispered Sha.

Sanzo grunted. He then placed his hands in prayer, bowed, and started to recite the prayer for the dead that his father had taught to him so many years ago.

--

Moments later the group was at the front of the building with John's cuffs back on. He was hunching forward, and Gojyo knew he must have re-injured himself. He didn't know what had happened after he'd passed out, but there must have been a struggle, adding resisting arrest to the long list of offenses. Gojyo felt shitty with his role in the whole situation. Yet he couldn't help also feeling a tremendous sense of peace. It was that room they were in and that cop's chanting that acted like a healing balm on a burn. He'd never been to church before, hell he didn't even know if he had a religion, but he felt like he was leaving a sacred place. Odd to think of a building where so many lives had ended as sacred, but he did.

It was his mother that he thought about as the detective's words blanketed over him. He was eight again; sitting upon the dirty linoleum and watching her pace the unfurnished room like a tiger in a cage. Her white dress fluttered by her legs and chestnut waves cascaded down her back. She was so beautiful. Even when she lay lifeless in front of him, blood pooling around her like a halo, she was beautiful.

He never did say good-bye to her. That day, he did.

That strange kid with the magical stick was standing nonchalantly by the car, looking at the detective walking up to Gojyo from behind. "I'm hungry," he said. "Sanzo, can we stop by somewhere to eat?"

"No," said the detective. Gojyo froze when he felt the man grasp the handcuffs locked around his wrist. They clicked off, allowing his arms to fall free to his sides.

"What are you doing?" Gojyo asked.

"You're a waste of taxpayer's money," said the detective roughly. "Go home and try not to be a burden."

A new emotion boiled up. "What?!" Gojyo shouted angrily. "Don't do me any favors, copper!" He pulled a fist up to make his point clear, but the detective ignored him and continued to walk to the car.

"Sanzoooo…why not? I'm starving!" the kid continued as if Gojyo had never spoken.

"We need to drop Cho off," the detective absently informed him, searching for his keys.

The kid walked over to the John. "Homicidal teacher, you hungry?"

"Huh?" John asked, surprise breaking him from his reverie.

"No, Goku, I will not feed the homicidal teacher," he said as he helped John, still baffled, into the car.

Goku slid into his own seat. "But, Sanzo."

"Shut up, stupid monkey." The doors closed, muffling an escalating exchange.

He watched the white car pull out and make a U-turn.

_Good luck to you, John or whoever you are._

He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned down the sidewalk to the bus stop. Stopped abruptly, realizing his wallet was still at home. He turned to yell at the disappearing car. "Hey! How the hell am I supposed to get home?"


	9. Chapter 9

_Note: Must give props to the beta reader._

--

Judge Sanbutsushin, a serene, gray haired man, whose eyes were actually closed most of the time, presided over Gonou Cho's trail. He was the same judge that presided over Goku's and continued to handle his case, so Sanzo was very familiar with him and he was actually one of very few people he respected.

Sanzo sat in the audience, waiting for his turn to testify. Outside, summer was at full swing and Sanzo was grateful that the courtroom was fully air-conditioned. He straightened a crease in his dark jacket. No matter the weather, he always went to court in a suit and tie.

Sanzo scanned the overcrowded courtroom around him. Cho didn't have very much friends and family attending. There was his foster mother, a small elderly woman, and his foster sister. Both were wearing a conservative starched blouse-skirt-sweater combo and matching crucifix. There was also Gojyo, whose red hair graced the back of the courtroom. The rest of the seats and standing room were filled with reporters and curious citizens. The idea of one man killing over one thousand people in one night had created a media craze, and the country couldn't get enough of it. If it was just a bombing it would have been one thing, but he had also hacked away one-hundred and twenty of them with a kitchen knife, one-hundred of which were dangerously armed criminals. Cindy's account of that night was also riveting, so much more descriptive than the one he had received in the interview room. She would be the type that would bask in the spotlight of a murder trail. Well, at least someone was enjoying this fiasco, Sanzo thought. He certainly wasn't.

The defense attorney that the court assigned to Cho was a real idiot. It was painful to even see him, dressed in an off-white jacket and purple tie that was poorly executed. Not to mention the buttons on his shirt was off. He looked like a total mess. How the hell did he ever happen upon his law degree?

What was worst, however, was his poor excuse for a defense. Although trying for an insanity appeal, he didn't even bother to mention that Cho had been admitted to the psych unit during his hospital stay or that he was currently taking medications, which Sanzo was sure he was. The only thing that the attorney did was have his foster family testify that he was a sullen kid that didn't smile and an unconvincing psychiatrist, equally incompetent-looking as he was, testify that Cho was indeed insane. The prosecutor's psychiatrist, on the other hand, was going to have "Cho is sane" written on his tombstone he was so sure of his sanity.

Sanzo didn't know why it was bothering him so much. It wouldn't have made a difference how good the defense was, Cho would definitely get the death penalty. Still if there was anytime he wished he could get a law degree overnight to replace an idiot defense attorney, it would be then.

The prosecutor called Sanzo to the witness stand. With Cho's file in his hands, he walked across the courtroom to sit facing the lawyer and did what he always did; testify against the suspect. The whole process for Sanzo was routine; he could have done it in his sleep, but that particular day he found him self distracted. From where he sat, he could see Cho clearly, looking indifferent as he testified against him, reminding him of the time they shared in that abandoned building.

The prosecutor came to the end of his questioning. "When Cho exited Sha's house did he try to kill you?"

"Although his intentions are unknown, yes, he did attack me," said Sanzo, feeling unspoken words caught in his throat, dying before they had a chance.

"That is all, Your Honor," said the lawyer as he turned to sit down.

"Defense," said the judge "your witness."

The idiot of an attorney approached him. Gods, someone needed to tell him how to dress. "Was the surveillance tape damaged when you viewed it?"

_Idiot, I'm the detective not the lab tech._ "As far as I know, it wasn't."

The lawyer seemed surprise by this. Al had testified earlier saying that, although the cause was unknown, there could have been damage to one of the tapes. The lawyer assumed he would share the same opinion.

"Wasn't there a part of the tape that seemed to be omitted? As if it were doctored?"

Sanzo rolled his eyes. "As far as I know, the tapes are fine, and no I don't believe they were doctored."

The attorney seemed flustered. "That is all-"

"You forgot to ask me what I discovered at the hospital," he quickly interrupted.

"I did?" the lawyer asked startled.

"Yes," he said. Gods. Why was he doing this? "I discovered that Cho was admitted to the psych ward."

The judged regarded him curiously, but he didn't stop him. The prosecutor didn't either.

"He was?" questioned the idiot defense. _Didn't he even do his research?_

"Yes. And you forgot to ask me what was discovered at Sha's residence."

"What was discovered?" he asked hesitantly.

"An empty medication bottle for antidepressants. According to the label, the bottle would have lasted up to that day. So up to that point, he was most likely med compliant. My assumption is, and please feel free to check, that Cho continues to be med complaint."

"Yes," said the lawyer, looking like he was putting pieces together.

"Ask me what happened the day I arrested Cho."

"What happened?"

"There was a misunderstanding, and Cho had attacked me, which was correct. Although once he discovered my identity, he ceased and turned himself in willingly. In my opinion, it is quite possible that he might have mistaken me for a revenging mafia member and may have assaulted me to defend him self."

Cho's indifference was replaced by curiosity as he watched Sanzo unexpectedly speak for him at the witness stand.

"Ummm…" said the lawyer. Sanzo continued to be baffled with his incompetence.

"Would you like to know my opinion of Cho?"

"…yes?"

"My unprofessional opinion is that Cho was defiantly insane the day he committed the murders. I'm no psychiatrist, but the kidnapping of his girlfriend could have triggered the episode. However, I know criminals, and it is my professional opinion that Cho will not commit another murder again, and I would go so far as to say that he is safe to return to society immediately if it were possible. He was actually planning to turn himself in the day I arrested him, and he obviously regrets his actions and appears to be doing everything possible to prevent a repeat. He is, I assume, compliant to a treatment plan of some sort?"

Sanzo looked over at the audience and noticed that a few of them had their mouths gapped opened, including the prosecuting attorney. Sanzo still couldn't believe that he was getting away with this. There _must_ be some rule against leading the attorney.

"Yes. He's very complaint," the lawyer confirmed.

Sanzo's lips curved smug about himself. Maybe becoming a lawyer overnight wasn't as farfetched as Sanzo thought.

"Good," he said.

There was a pause as the lawyer waited for Sanzo to add anything else.

Sanzo said, "That is all."

"That is all, Your Honor," said the lawyer, looking more confident than he did the whole trial.

--

_1984 White House, Washington, D.C._

_Kanzeon Bosatsu, at age twenty-one__, had just arrived home for summer vacation. Her father was busy, as always, ruling the free world, and since her mother had died when she was just a child, she had nothing else to occupy her time but watch the various employees of the White House. She sat under the shade of a leafy tree, looking over a pond, covered with pink water lilies. It was her most favorite spot on the grounds. It had a perfect view of the front gate and the front of the house, so she could view whoever was coming and going. _

_She could also watch the service entrance, where the help liked to take their breaks, and the patio area where Daddy entertained guests. Yes, this was the perfect spot. She pulled out her bonoculars to get a better look at the gardener's__ teenage son, Copper. He had come to the White House to help his father during the summers eversince he was a knobby-kneed ten-year-old. Now as a teenager, Kanzeon can see he had grown to be quite a handsome young man. Slender but with broad shoulders and strong arms, thick blond hair and light brown eyes. He looked more like a surfer than a gardener._

"_You sure don't waste time getting back into routine." _

_Kanzeon brought down her binoculars to see that it was her sister, Connie, speaking to her. Like Copper, Connie was a blonde haired teenager but her eyes were violet like Kanzeon's. She was the serious sister, always acting older than she really was._

"_Connie," said Kanzeon in her relaxed way. "How was your first year of college?"_

"_Boring," she said tersely. She wrapped her arms around her thin waist and leaned on her hip, a scowl forever marring her features. _

"_You're always bored. The problem with you is that you don't try to entertain yourself."_

"_Maybe I should take up spying on people like you do," she said sarcastically, "and you know Kanzeon, using binoculars makes it too obvious. You should take on a less intrusive hobby like watching TV."_

"_Watching TV doesn't allow me to occasionally mess with the situation as real life does," Kanzeon said as she looked through her binoculars once more to spy on the gardner's son. He was planting yellow flowers by the house. "The problem with you, Connie," she continued, "is that you're too uptight."_

_Kanzeon smiled as she felt the hostility eminate from the slight figure of her sister. "Kanzeon, is this why you wanted to talk to me 'as soon as possible'? If this is, I've got better things to do."_

"_What?" she inquired calmly. "Homework? Doesn't summer school not start for another two weeks?"_

"_It pays to be prepared. I've already bought the books and reading ahead keeps me from being overwhelmed when classes start."_

_Kanzeon brought down her binoculars but continued to watch the blond boy. "That can wait for one night."_

"_What are you getting at?" Hands on hips._

"_You are going to my friend's sister's debutante ball with me."  
_

"_What?!" Connie exclaimed__, her face twisting indignantly. "When hell freezes over!" She turned around angrily and began to leave._

"_Connie," Kanzeon said easily, causing her sister to stop mid-stride. Kanzeon smiled. "This was Daddy's idea. You have no choice."_

_She turned back, irritated. "What are you talking about?"_

"_Daddy says that you're too uptight, so he told me to take you. No 'ifs, ands, or buts' was what he said." _

_She watched with satisfaction as her sister struggle with this bit of information. Connie would do whatever Daddy said. She was the quintessential good kid after all._

"_He didn't say 'uptight'," she said defensively and Kanzeon knew she won._

"_Well. It was pretty close."_

"_What does this involve?" she asked, impatiently._

"_Hmmm…" said Kanzeon with a mischievous smile, finger on her chin. "For one you need a dress, which I know you don't have, so I have decided to be generous and let you borrow one of mine."_

"_Oh thank you, Merciful Goddess!" Connie said bowing in mock jest._

_Kanzeon smile grew. "For another," she continued, "you need a date."_

"_A date?!" she yelped__ in horror._

"_Yes. And don't worry. It doesn't have to be a boyfriend, which I know you don't have. You can invite one of your friends."_

_Connie looked annoyed as if to say, "You know I don't have any friends. Get to the point." _Poor Connie_, thought Kanzeon. She wondered if her lack of friends was due to always being considerably younger than her classmates or to having such a sour disposition._

"_No friends?" continued Kanzeon. Then, as if the idea had just occurred to her, she added, "I know, why don't you ask Copper to go?" she said as she stood up from the bench to brush the debris that settled on her violet tights._

"_Copper?!" Connie's fair skin blushed profusely, making her look adorably her age. So Kanzeon wasn't the only one who noticed how handsome he'd become._

"_Yes, Copper." She took her sister by the hand. "Come on. Let's go ask right now."_

--

2005 Governer's Office, Carson City, Neveda

In her plush air-conditioned office, Kanzeon watched the gardeners as they worked right outside the window. They were small stout men with dark features busily trimming the trees and gathering branches, yet they reminded her a blond boy planting yellow flowers.

_Connie__,_ she thought to herself. _It has been so boring without you._

There was a knock on the door and her assistant Jiroshin entered, pushing a cart with a TV.

"Hurry, Jiroshin, or we'll miss my nephew's testimony."

"Governor," said Jiroshin, "Don't you have better things to do than to fuel your bizarre obsession over Detective Genjyo?"

"Jiroshin," she said mockingly, "you know as well as I that there is nothing better for me to do."

"Governer," Jiroshin sighed, his tone heavy with resignation. He finished setting up the TV then handed Kanzeon the remote.

"Thank you, Jiroshin," she said as she turned the channel to CourtTV.

Her nephew was already at the stand. No matter. She was recording the footage at home and could watch what she had missed after work.

Nostalgia washed over her as it always did when she watched young blond. He was so much like Connie, not only in mannerism but appearance. He had the family eyes, tilted downward and violet. There weren't too many people who had that color. And it was more than that. It was the feeling she got whenever she saw him. This was why she ignored the rest of the world telling her otherwise, including the blond himself. She knew without a doubt that he was her long-lost nephew. Connie's son.

"Oh, Jiroshin, doesn't he look beautiful?" She rested her chin upon an elegant hand.

Jiroshin looked visiably uncomfortable, which made her smile. "Governer, I don't feel I am qualified to say."

"Oh, but I know you think he is. How can anyone not?"

He was smart and ambitious, even more so than Connie was. Her nephew was only 20 years old yet he was already the best detective in Las Vegas. She knew without a doubt that he was also mature and responsible because Connie was the same way, which was partially why she had arranged for him to become a legal gardian long before he was qualified to be a legal adult. She knew he could handle and most likely excel at it, as was typical for their family in any endeavor. However, the main reason she had done it was the interesting information she gathered from Goku Son's file from the penitentiary. It was so tantalizing that she couldn't help play a hand in fate and bring those two further together. What would come of it she had a theory but only time would reveal, which made watching Genjyo all more facinating.

Kanzeon sat straight as she noticed something different with her nephew. It was so comedic that Kanzeon would have been shocked if she were someone else. He was actually defending the one who he had worked so hard to get into jail. More so than being unusual for anyone else in his position, it was uncharacteristic of him specifically.

"Jiroshin, get me information regarding Gonou Cho."

"Governor, your responsibilities," he reminded her.

"They can wait." A smile growing across her face. "This is way more interesting."


	10. Chapter 10

Gojyo entered the dark windowless room of the jail where visitors spoke to inmates at cubicles behind thick glass. The guard recognized him and he patted his upper arm amicably, talking happily about a strip club downtown. Gojyo tried to be chummy in return but had difficulty since he was feeling edgy and was preoccupied with other thoughts. He looked beyond the glass divider at the much brighter lit prisoner's side. Soon he would see Gonu for the last time before he would be transferred to death row.

Death row. Wow.

Before Gonou had even turned himself in, Gojyo had known that he would get the death sentence, but it was still a shock when he'd heard the judge announce it in court. Even for Gojyo, who was well equated with every low life imaginable, had never known anyone to receive the death sentence.

The guard finally detected that Gojyo wasn't listening to him and lead him to the cubicle where he would wait. Gojyo absently ran his hand over the grain of the table and noticed that his hand was shaking. He wanted to laugh at this, but the guard would have thought he was crazy. The same dark wood divided him from a visitor to his left, a lady sobbing and speaking with halting pauses. He wondered if the inmate she was talking to would be on the same bus as Gonou.

The door opened and Gonou entered the room to sit at the plastic chair across from him, the guard falling behind him as he picked up his phone. Gojyo picked up his own. The mouth piece smelled of spit beneath the Lysol.

"Hi, Gojyo," said Gonou as if they were meeting out on the street on a sunny day and not in the closed off space of the cubicle. Behind thick glass, he was wearing the standard issue orange prison garb and was smiling his usual smile. Gojyo, however, was not.

"Hey," Gojyo responded, not knowing what else to say to someone going on death row.

"Are you eating well?"

"Uh…yeah." He felt a little guilty and hoped that he wouldn't ask if he'd eaten the stuff Gonou made for him, because he hadn't and some had actually gone bad since Gonou hadn't put it away before his arrest.

"I'm glad," he beamed, making him look out of place in his current surroundings.

A black patch underneath Gonou's fringe caught Gojyo's eye. "Hey. What happened to you?"

"Oh," Gonou laughed, embarrassed as he fingered the patch, "A fellow inmate gouged my eye out with a spoon." He laughed some more, and Gojyo was truly puzzled.

"That's nothing to laugh about!" he admonished.

Gonou's laugh tapered away, but he continued to smile.

_This guy is seriously whack!_ "I hate to say I told you so, but-"

"No. This is fitting, don't you think? 'An eye for an eye'."

He felt irritated all of a sudden. "'An eye for an eye'? What kind of bullshit is that? Do you want to die?" he yelled into the phone a lot louder than he had intended, causing Gonou to finch from the receiver. Gojyo was seriously starting to feel frustrated about being the only one interested in keeping this guy alive.

"No Gojyo I don't," Gonou said in all seriousness, and Gojyo was taken aback. Although his smiled stayed perfectly intact, there was a glimmer of determination in his one eye and a steadiness in his voice. "I don't mean to brag, but the guy responsible is worst off."

Gojyo was stunned. "You… fought back?"

Gonou beamed again, looking a lot like a five-year-old showing off his art project.

"Well, I'll be. Mr. Suicidal fought back." Gojyo grinned and leaned back on the plastic chair, feeling like a proud father. "What's gotten into you?"

Gonou simply shrugged and said, "If there are others that believe in me, I owe it to them to protect myself."

Gojyo eyed him curiously and smirked, "Dude, _that_ was corny."

"You think so?" Gonou laughed and Gojyo found himself laughing also. It felt good and for a moment they were no longer in jail but talking over the kitchen table.

'Others' he had said. He wondered who else besides him would want to see this guy live. Maybe they should get together and have a drink.

"Well, at least on death row no one can get near you." Immediately after he said this, he wished he could take it back. Gonou's laugh and smile faded away, revealing the raw emotions underneath. Gojyo was both pained and fascinated with what he saw and what he had always known was there since he had arrived.

"You're scared, huh?" he asked quietly, afraid that the façade would return and deny everything. Somehow though he knew it wouldn't. Not with him, anyway.

Gonou sighed. "Yeah."

--

It was early morning, and Cindy was walking home from a busy night. Her high heeled shoes were in her hands, her aching feet bare against cold concrete. She could smell donuts and coffee in the air and knew it was way past her bedtime, but she didn't want to go to bed. Sleep for her had become the enemy when all it offered her were nightmares of blood and gore. Of men with their bodies torn apart like the doll she had given to her pit pull when she was eight. Except these guys were not stuffed with cotton nor their faces kept intact because they were made of plastic. They were human. Flesh and blood, faces frozen with horror from seeing their last moments on earth, human. God, why couldn't she get these images out of her head?

And that man responsible for it all. Innocent looking under the florescent lights of the courtroom, but she knew his true nature. She saw a glimpse of it at the abandoned building when he had fought the head guy. His eyes were scary and his face twisted with malice, looking more like a demon than a man. She had never been more scared of anyone before him. Even her stepfather paled in comparison, because after all his huffing and puffing, he was still human. Gonou Cho, though, he was what horror movies were made of.

So she testified, and she would do it again. She wasn't one of those weak-assed sissy girls that were afraid of retribution. She took her chances and needed to play her part in getting that monster locked up. But it wasn't enough. Even after the judge announced that he was to be executed, she still didn't feel safe. She needed to leave Las Vegas. That would make the nightmares stop.

Hearing a noise, she jumped and then felt silly for doing so. Damn her nerves. She placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart and mentally told herself to calm down. The empty streets were slowly lighting up with the gray of morning. She should be safe with the day. Nighttime was when step-assholes got drunk and violent, when shadows snatch people off the street to later use as their plaything, and when monsters come tearing through with a kitchen knife. Daytime, however, she was safe.

As she continued walking, she got the feeling she was being followed. She looked behind and spied a group of five people closing in on her. She continued her leisurely pace, but her heart was racing a mile a minute. Normally seeing others would be reassuring, but there was something about those people that didn't seem right. They were an odd assortment of people for one. A teenage boy, two women who looked like house mothers, another that looked like a prostitute, and a mailman. Why would a mailman be in uniform so early in the morning? For another, they weren't wearing any shoes. When she had first taken off her shoes, the coolness was a relief for her sore toes, but now the chill had numbed them to the point it was uncomfortable.

Another group appeared from around the corner in front, similar to the one behind. She saw an alleyway and ran for it, her feet stinging as she pounded across the unyielding ground, her shoes discarded and forgotten. The others were close behind and closing distance. _God, please God, let this alleyway run through. Yes!_

She ran right into a businessman, his suitcase toppling into the street due to the impact. "Oof!" he sputtered. "Are you okay?"

She pulled at his arm to get him to stand. "Get up and run!" she yelled, but he was too heavy and dumbstruck. She released his arm and ran across the street. Looking back she saw one of the others slash through the man with clawed hands, blood spraying all around. _Holy shit!_ "Run! Everyone, run!" she yelled to the few who were up that early; a man just opening his store, a delivery boy, and another businessman. "Run dammit!" But they just stood around like idiots. She heard their screams as their flesh was torn from them.

_Run, please God, run._

A man appeared out of nowhere and she reeled back as if hitting a brick wall, her ass hitting hard on the sidewalk. Dumbstruck, she realized he was no man. Pointy ears peaked behind chestnut hair and eyes glared with animal lust. He grinned, revealing fangs. He reeked of homeless guy. She flinched from a sudden movement and found strong hands lifting her up and over a solid shoulder. She held her breath as she watched the street fall away in a rush of cold air. The monster holding her had leaped ten feet to the nearby building and then proceeded to leap from rooftop to rooftop. The other monsters followed close behind, holding other hostages and corpses, leaping so high, they might as well be flying.

_God, what now?_


	11. Chapter 11

_Update: This one has been beta read!_

--

Sanzo and Goku walked through the large hall of the courthouse to see Judge Sanbutsushin. A trail just let out, forcing them to weave through a crowd of people either standing in the way discussing the trail or walking against them towards the exit. Goku was quiet and looking nervous, which he always was when visiting Judge Sanbutsushin.

The judge would have them meet him twice a year to check if Goku's special arrangement continued to work out for everyone's benefit. It was routine, and Sanzo hardly gave noticed to them, but this time the judge had summoned them earlier than scheduled and Sanzo couldn't help thinking that the only reason to do so was if there had been some dissatisfaction that couldn't wait to be addressed. Sanzo was puzzled as to what that would be. Goku passed his classes okay and didn't get into trouble.

In fact, Goku's school, which was one that catered to children prone to violent outbursts, wondered why he wasn't going to a regular one. Not once had Goku ever given them reason to use strong sedatives that Sanzo supplied for them, and often Sanzo needed to remind the school staff of Goku's special condition. Goku was also very good with participating in therapy and taking his medication. So why did the judge want to see them before their regular time? Could it be because he had brought Goku to work one to many times?

Sanzo knocked on the heavy door of the judge's office and entered. It was a large office with dark furniture. Bookcases stretched from ceiling to floor behind the old judge. A large window allowed sunlight in and gave view of the parking lot. The judge was reading something on his desk and did not look up when they entered.

"Judge Sanbutsushin. You called for us," said Sanzo.

The judge didn't look up but waved them in. "Yes. Please have a seat."

Sanzo and Goku took their seats in front of the judge and waited for him to speak. Goku shifted nervously.

The judge folded his hands and looked up with sleepy eyes. "Detectve Genjyo," the judge finally hummed in his flat tone. "I must commend your outstanding performance as Goku's guardian. It has been two years and there has not been anther incident. Your ability to adapt to Goku's needs has been outstanding."

He responded with practiced detachment, "You're regard is apprechiated, Your Honor."

"I would also like to commend you for your generosity in taking up your role in Goku's case. I cannot imagine a more positive outcome without your coopertion."

"Duly noted," said Sanzo.

"As you may be aware, I had summoned you ahead of schedule."

"Yes, I was aware of that," replied Sanzo, curious.

"The reason being is because this meeting is not in regard to Goku but to another similar case. Its outcome will also depend on your generosity."

_Similar case?_ Sanzo felt a sinking sensation at hearing this. He looked over at Goku who only gave him an unhelpful puzzled look in return.

"What case is that, Your Honor?" Sanzo asked.

"You are familiar with Gonou Cho."

"The homicidal school teacher?!" exclaimed Goku. He nearly popped out of his seat with excitement.

"Yes," Sanzo answered the judge, ignorning Goku's outburst.

"You had testified for him during his proceedings. You stated," the judge paused to look down over a document, his fingers following the words as he read, "'I would go so far as to say that he is safe to return to society immediately if it were possible.'" Goku looked towards Sanzo, wide-eyed.

"Excuse me for being confused," said Sanzo, "but are you asking me to become Cho's guardian?"

"No, detective. Gonou Cho's arrangement will be much more involved than Goku's case, considering the circumstances."

"I would hope so," said Sanzo. "However, I cannot fathom any possible arrangement since Cho is already on death row and has yet to start the appeals process."

"There are other ways of escaping the death penalty, detective."

There was a soft knock on the door before it swung silently open. A small breeze entered the room along with the familiar flowery perfume that always accompanied…

"Hello, Konzen," said Governor Kanzeon Bosatsu. Sanzo's stomach churned as he turned to see her leaning upon the doorframe, hand on hip with a powder blue sweater over white dress, a sly smile gracing her beautiful face. Sanzo should have realized sooner that the governor was involved.

"Old hag," snarled Sanzo, "what are you doing here?"

"Now, now, Konzen. Is that anyway to greet your auntie?"

"For the last time, I'm not your nephew and my name is not Konzen," Sanzo spat. _Why can't the old hag find another hobby?_

"Detective," said the judge, reminding Sanzo of where he was. "The possible arrangement we have been discussing is actually the governor's proposition. She will explain it in further detail to you." The judge picked up a pen and started to write, indicating that the meeting was over.

The governor smiled down at him. "Come with me Ko- I mean detective."

Sanzo had half a mind to say "Fuck no!" but instead sighed with resignation and stood up to follow her. Sanzo had already accepted a long time ago that whenever the governor decided to interfere with his life, she always got what she wanted. He might as well save himself some time and see what other nuisance she wanted to throw his way.

--

Moments later, Sanzo found himself in a tightly packed helicopter, made by being shoved over next to Goku while the old hag and her assistant. Wind kicked up all around and the city shrunk below them. The governor looked amused at the monkey as spoke and gestured excitedly about flying in a helicopter for the first time. At least that was what Sanzo gathered he was talking about, since his words were swallowed by the rush and roar of the engine and air.

From what little Sanzo gathered, he would probably become Cho's parole officer or some other such nonsense. Although, there really was no telling what to expect when the governor was involved. She was, without a doubt, the most eccentric politician in existence. The only way she had been able to get away with it was because her oddball tactics of social reform was actually successful so far.

The helicopter started its decent and Sanzo noticed that their final destination was the Nevada State Prison where Goku had been held. Why were they going there? If anything they should be going to Ely, where Gonou Cho was kept.

"But why?" croaked out Goku, looking crushed. All of Goku's excitement vanished, and he looked as if someone told him his cat died.

Sanzo frowned. The whole situation was starting to irritate him. "What is the meaning of all this?!" he demanded of old hag.

"Settle down, you two," she said, amused. "Why would I waste my precious prison space on Goku?"

Sanzo looked indignantly out the window, annoyed with his own outburst. What was she up to? Why couldn't she just tell them what she had planned back in Las Vegas?

--

Goku stepped out of the helicopter and looked up at the monster of the building where he had spent what felt like an eternity. He felt his heart in his throat and he found it a little hard to breath. Every instinct told him to runaway and hide. It would be easy enough.

He looked up at the guards in their towers and the guards at the front. He guessed that there would also be guards at the far gate. The governor and her assistant were in front of him and Sanzo was beside him. He could do it right there. He was fast, he knew. He could hide out in the nearest city and become a street bum or travel the continent becoming a drifter. Goku swallowed hard as he was struck by the loneliness of idea of wondering aimlessly and alone. He looked up at Sanzo who looked bright in the broad daylight, his eyes set sternly ahead of him. He couldn't leave Sanzo. It would be like living without the sun. What if what the governor said was true? What if this wasn't some elaborate trick to trap him back in that cell?

He took a deep breath and decided to take his chances. They entered the building and he suddenly felt closed in. The sounds of the dying helicopter were shut completely out by the door that silently closed behind them, but to Goku it seemed to slam with certain finality. He could still escape, he thought. He didn't like the thought of hurting others, but if it came down to it he would fight back.

They entered the warden's office and it was like stepping into the past. Nothing had changed, not even the warden.

The homicidal teacher was there, looking surprised to see him. Despite his nervousness, he couldn't help notice that one of his eyes looked dead behind his glasses. He was wearing an orange jump suit and chained shackles over his wrists and ankles, reminding him of the ones he had worn for so long. Would it be a trade off? One monster for another?

"Governor, I trust you had a good flight?" the warden asked politely.

"It was a bit windy for my taste, but it got the job done," she said as she straightened her hair. The governor looked around the room at the silent faces. "I trust everyone knows each other?"

"Not formally. No," said the homicidal teacher looking towards Goku.

"Ah, yes, that's right," the governor corrected herself. "Well, this young man is Goku." She placed hand on his shoulder, "and Goku, you know Mr. Cho, right?"

"Yeah," he mumbled.

The homicidal teacher crouched to smile at him warmly. "Goku, you can call me Gonou." His voice was soothing as if he was trying to tell him to calm down. Goku attempted to smile back.

"Okay," said the governor, "enough with introductions. I've got a schedule to keep."

They followed the warden through the labyrinth of hallways, which occasionally sloped downwards. Goku trailed behind. The governor's perfume wafted softly to mix with the harsh fumes that they used to mop the floors. It was quiet except for their footsteps and the scrape and thunk of Gonou's ankle restraints upon the linoleum. Goku's heart sunk as he couldn't escape the feeling of déjà vu. Although he could only remember walking these halls once, he knew that they were heading to The Dungeon. His feet felt heavy all of a sudden and each step became a struggle. As they passed a large window overlooking the prison grounds, he stopped completely, standing motionless in the hallway.

The governor stopped, noticing that he had ceased to follow them. The rest of the group did also, looking curiously at him.

"I've had enough of your games, old hag," snarled Sanzo testily. "Tell me why we are here." The sharpness of Sanzo's voice had startled Goku, and he realized then that he was standing right beside him. The muscle in Sanzo's jaw was stretched taut and he knew he was pissed.

She regarded Sanzo with her hand on her hip and smiled as if he was a cute fluffy chick. "Detective," she said, "there are monsters among us." Goku blinked at this.

"Yeah?" Sanzo said, but it sounded as if he was saying "so?" and this warmed Goku's heart, helping him regain his courage so that the blood could slowly returned to his limbs.

"Aside from those like Goku and Mr. Cho."

"What do you mean?" asked Cho.

"It would be easier if I showed you. We keep the monsters, or as they like to call themselves, demons, here. At the Dungeon, specifically. It's the only facility that can hold them and keep them hidden." She looked at Goku. "Relax, Goku. There is no reason to put you back just yet."

"Then why have him here?" demanded Sanzo.

"I will come to that soon enough. Let me explain the situation first." She started to walk again and the rest of the group followed.

Goku discovered that his limbs no longer felt heavy and that his heart felt strangely light considering where his feet where taking him. He knew that Sanzo would never let them imprison him without a fight and he would do it without hurting anyone either because he was smart.

The governor continued, "There is a disease spreading in the United States caused by what scientists call the Minus Wave. It's progressive and comes in two stages. The first stage is where Goku and Gonou Cho are. We call individuals at this stage half-demons. They look human except they have inhuman strength and violent alter egos whenever their emotions get the better of them. Keeping them regulated with psychotropic medication has been mildly successful in keeping them from the second stage."

"What happens at the second stage?" asked Cho.

"At the second stage, they have marked changes in appearance and personality. There is an increase in body mass and possible skin pigmentation, but they most easily identified by their pointed ears, fangs, and claws. There are two types at this stage."

They reached the entrance of the Dungeon, and the guard there immediately buzzed them in. Another door closed behind them and that feeling of dread returned. Goku resisted the urge to grab onto Sanzo's arm. That would only piss him off and he didn't want to lose his only ally.

"One type, we call beta. They are completely primal and have lost their ability for human speech." They entered the Dungeon, and it seemed different somehow. Brighter and new. They walked to the first cell. There were four demons in there, looking cramped. Two of them had an unusual grayish skin tone and one of them had blue marks upon his arms. "These are beta demons," continued the governor. "The ones in this cell have been here for a while, so they're weak with hunger. Unfortunately, they can only feed on fresh human flesh, which I'm afraid I can't provide."

"What?!" exclaimed Cho.

One of the gray skinned demons woke and looked up at the group, appearing weak and pathetic. He looked directly at Sanzo, and his face twisted into snarl. A deep growl emanated from his throat right before he roared and rushed towards Sanzo, abruptly halted by the bars that seemed to give from the impact. Goku, along with the rest of the group, staggered in surprise from the sudden movement. Sanzo, however, did not move or flinch, even when claws desperately reached out for him.

"This is unusual," said the warden. "They should be too weak to move."

The other demons woke from the commotion and suddenly the cells around them were alive with growls and claws reaching out towards the party. Although the others were looking around them in surprise, Sanzo continued to observe the gray one, unmoved. Goku watched nervously as the claws came short only inches from Sanzo's face. Goku was struck with the realization that the demon's growls were forming into something that was understandable. "Sssaaanzzzoo," he said.

"Sanzo," rasped Goku and pulled at his arm to move him away from the slashing claws, "why does he know you?"

"My, Konzen," said the governor with a gaiety that was totally out of place. She was also unmoved with arms wrapped around her waist. "You are quite popular, aren't you?"

Goku looked over at the weirdo governor watching Sanzo as if she were watching public television and finally started to realized that this trip to the State Prison was not a trap for him but one for Sanzo.


	12. Chapter 12

_Thank you beta reader!_

--

"It appears that all the demons here would very much want Detective Genjyo dead," observed Gonou, looking at the arms as they began to slowly tire. "I wonder why that is?" He looked to the governor.

Gonou was still trying to adjust to the abruptness of his current situation. That morning he was reading in his cell, which he did every day since he had been incarcerated, when the warden informed him that the governor wanted to talk to him. After a four hour bus ride, he found himself standing in the midst of an underground zoo, except the animals looked very much like humans. And the detective that arrested him was there, along with that boy that he had fought.

He felt a twinge of guilt seeing them, but they didn't seem to harbor any ill will. In fact, Goku had forgiven him the moment they had stopped fighting. During the ride to the station, the boy had spoken excitedly about their little skirmish as if they were two friends in a martial arts tournament and not as two foes out to beat each other to a pulp. And then there was Detective Genjyo. He had gone out of his way to speak for him at his trial when he had no reason to.

"I think I know why," the governor answered him in that mysterious way of hers. "But I suggest we ask Henry, our resident alpha demon to be sure." The governor turned to walk down the cellblock, the cells coming to life as they passed, all desperate to grab a hold of the detective. Gonou struggled to keep pace with his leg restraints. Any other person would have fallen by now.

"Alpha demon?" asked Gonou.

"As I told you, there are two types once they become full demons. Betas are what you see here. The other type, which is rare, we call alpha. They maintain their intelligence, except they are obsessed with annihilating humankind. They also have special abilities, such as transformation or magic, which makes the capture of them practically impossible."

Magic and monsters. Gonou felt as if he had stepped into a fantasy novel. Maybe he was still in his cell reading one and his lack of human contact was causing him to imagine this hallucination. Might as well play along and see what came of it.

"How were you able to contain Henry?" he questioned further.

"Through trial and error. It turns out that Goku's old cell is magical. It prevents demons from escaping no matter what their abilities."

So, not only was Goku imprisoned here, but he was kept in a magical cell. After all that had happened, Gonou was not surprised. He looked over at the boy who was cowering behind the detective and looking every bit the frightened child. He seemed harmless enough, but Gonou knew more than anyone that looks can be deceiving. He'd sensed it when they had first met, as if he held the power of the world at his beck and call.

"How good to see you again, governor. Warden," said the lone demon at the last cell, malice dripping with every word. He looked up from his cot at them, eyes gathering the light and creating an inhuman effect. He was quite muscular with a greenish skin tone and ebony hair. "I see you've brought company." His eyes grew wide with realization. "A sanzo!" He reeled to the head of his bed, his back against the wall as if trying to escape. _Well, this is an unexpected reaction_, thought Gonou.

"Henry," said the governor, "why are you spooked?"

Henry straightened. "I'm not afraid of dying!"

"Oh?" The governor grinned at the demon's attempt at sounding tough. "Konzen would you like to step into the cell and get acquainted with Henry?"

The detective remained stoic as everyone else's jaws dropped. "That would be fine," said Genjyo, "I'm having a stressful day and killing something would really help ease the tension."

"Wait!" yelled Henry. "Governor, have mercy! At least let me out of this blasted cell so I can properly defend myself."

"Settle down, Henry," soothed the governor, "I'll take the big bad sanzo away as long as you can answer me this. Why are you afraid of him?"

The demon did calmed but more to look confused at the governor. "Because sanzos have the power to move heaven and earth," he said quite simply as if reiterating common sense.

"You do?" asked Goku, looking curiously up at the detective.

"'Heaven and earth'," mused the governor. "How mysterious, but I can see why that would be a threat."

_Mysterious, indeed_, thought Gonou. The detective was tied to the demons somehow. _The power to move heaven and earth._ He looked at the detective. Intense violet eyes studied the demon, deep in thought. He knew something that he wasn't sharing.

The detective grunted. "Well, this has been very fascinating, but what does any of this have to do with us?"

"Quite simple, detective," said the governor. "I would like to hire you three to exterminate demons."

"What?!" exclaimed Gonou.

--

The warden left the group in his office to attend to other business. After the governor's proposition at the Dungeon, Henry went on a rampage, screaming about how efforts to subdue demons were futile and to accept the inevitable fate of the end of humankind. It was quite distracting, so Gonou was glad that the warden had offered his office.

The governor sat behind the desk and continued where she had left off. "The president has provided us funding to exterminate these demons."

"But," said Goku, his nervousness now gone since they had returned to the office. "These demons are people."

"That's true, Goku," the governor conceded, "Except these 'people' are killing other people. As you saw, keeping them alive is useless anyway since they die of starvation in captivity. Scientists are working on a cure, but until then, we were instructed to treat them as they have called themselves, a threat to humanity."

"Pardon me," said Gonou, "but why us specifically? I mean, I can understand the detective, but I'm an inmate on death row and Goku is a minor."

"I chose you and Goku because of your tremendous strength. You would be forming an IKKOU, Intervening Killing Kombat Operations Unit, created specifically for demon intervention and extermination. There are already a few scattered throughout Nevada, each made up of twenty-five to thirty individuals. The cost to run them is tremendous and there's only so much federal funding allotted to us. The three of you can save us a whole lot of money."

Gonou cleared his throat and pointed his index finger up, causing his chains to click together. "Excuse me, but combat is spelled with a 'c'."

The governor smiled back, chin resting upon the back of her hand. "It looks better with a 'k', don't you think?"

"How 'bout Goku?" the detective asked, "Cho's right. Although he's strong, he is still a minor."

"According to his records he's one-hundred and fifteen years old and qualifies for Medicare, so technically he's not a minor."

"So does that mean he no longer needs me to be his guardian?"

The governor gave him a crooked smile. "Nice try, Konzen."

"Ch. Thought so."

"Well, I'm in!" exclaimed Goku. "What about you, Homecida- I mean Gonou?"

Gonou was caught by surprise and didn't know how to answer. Go out and exterminate demons (but he and Goku were already half way in joining them). Gonou couldn't help recognize the irony in that. Also it would be more killing, and he was already weary of it. Even though these demons were violent, they were once human and they could be returned to their normal state. No matter how slight the chance was, wasn't it worth it to at least try?

However, he would be saving so many more harmless individuals. _Saving humanity_, thought Gonou. _Surly there is redemption in that._

And yet there was another issue at hand. He was on death row. How would the arrangement be? Would he be sent out occasionally like a tool at their disposal then disposed off when no longer useful?

Well, however pathetic an existence, it was much more desirable than being bored all day. "Umm…" he began.

"Not so fast, guys," said the governor. "You two are highly unstable individuals and I can't afford to have you going on a rampage on the government dollar. Detective Genjyo will have to agree to become the IKKOU's leader for all this to work out."

Crossing his arms, the detective asked, "Why me?"

"Because you have already been successful with Goku. No one else have your qualifications with handling demons."

"What am I? A demon tamer?"

"That sounds to be about right. Yes."

The detective grunted. "What's in it for me?" he pressed.

"For you? More money. Oh!" she said in mock surprise. "But we all know that you don't need any more of that. A break from detective work? Hmmm… Not appealing, huh? Well, I guess there really isn't anything for you in this deal. Goku, however, can have a nice chunk of change. That would definitely come in handy, considering he will be coming of age soon. Gonou Cho can have my pardon." She smiled at the detective. "However, the choice is up to you."

A pardon! Gonou suspected that the whole show and dance was leading to this, but he was still stunned when he heard it. He felt the weight of his shackles and imagined them gone. He imagined not returning to that cell that consumed his every day. Gonou's heart started to pound in his chest, but he carefully concealed his excitement. His freedom would require a certain sacrifice from the detective, which he would never ask for. He took in a steady breath and looked over at the detective who was sitting ridged with arms and legs crossed, the sun from the window brightening his blond hair.

Goku was also looking over at the detective, pulling at his sleeve. "Come on Sanzo. Say you'll do it. Please, Sanzo."

The detective ignored them, staring menacingly at the governor, who only smiled back with amusement.


	13. Chapter 13

_Thank you reviewers! Without you, I would have stopped this a long time ago._

_Thank you beta reader! Without you, my chapters would be shorter …and crappier._

--

Gojyo sat at the smoky casino bar, drinking and trying to hear the basketball game on the TV over the clanging and bells of the slot machines, chatter of tourists, and a band playing jazz. The bartender was talking to two ladies as he whipped down the bar. Gojyo took a sip of his chilled beer. His team was behind, but it was still early in the game.

"Go-jyo," purred Clarice, trailing a finger across his back. She went to sit on the other side of him, her perfume sharp and strong as it hit his nose.

Gojyo turned to the black-haired beauty and pressed his lips fully on hers, tasting waxy lip gloss. "Hey, Clarice." She was wearing a shimmery blue number that matched her eyes perfectly. "You are looking beautiful, sweetheart."

"Oh, Gojyo. Always a flatterer."

"Lewis, a dry martini for the little lady."

"Sure thing, Gojyo."

Gojyo gave Clarice a cigarette then lit it for her. "Why aren't you at the poker tables?" she asked with her rough voice.

"I won a shit load the other day. Don't want to temp fate, you know."

Clarice blew out a cloud of smoke. "So you decided to bet on sports. Never knew you were into that." The bartender placed the drink in front of her.

Gojyo shrugged. "Never hurts to try new things, you know what I mean?"

"Yes. Life can get tremendously boring if you stick to the same routine." She took a sip.

"Yup." There was a commercial and Gojyo turned fully to Clarice, wrapping his hands around her thin waist, calloused hands brushing against plastic sequins. "We should try new things tonight, baby."

"Gojyo," she leaned into him, "you've read my mind. Forget the game and come home with me before you get too drunk to fuck."

"Aw, Clarice. I love it when you talk dirty." He kissed her fully with tongue and spit, tasting alcohol and cigarettes. Damn she had soft lips. Her body fitted snuggly against him, and he felt the warmth gathering in his nether regions. He pulled away from her. "Come on. Let's go…" Just then, he caught Gonou's picture on TV. It surprised him. He hadn't been in the news since his conviction.

"What is it, Gojyo?" She turned to follow his gaze. "Hey. Isn't that your roommate?"

"Mass murderer, Gonou Cho," announced the news lady with the dome-like hair, "died today after his bus was hijacked by suspected mafia members of Hyakugenmaoh…" They showed helicopter footage, circling around a white bus upon its side, surrounded by nothing but dessert.

_Died…_

"Aw geez, Gojyo, I'm so sorry," soothed Clarice, rubbing his arm.

Gojyo was transfixed by the black smoke billowing from the wreckage. The reporter was droning on about Gonou's killing spree and ties to Hyakugenmaoh, but he couldn't hear her anymore. "Um… Clarice. Mind if I take a raincheck?"

"Sure, Gojyo," she said, sympathetically.

He broke away from her and started his way home.

--

Gojyo entered his house, half expecting Gonou to be there. Strange. He'd only been at this house for a few weeks and he'd been incarcerated for almost a year now yet he could still feel him whenever he walked through the rooms. As if the house itself was holding on to him, knowing that he took good care of it. Smart house. Gojyo shut the cold night out and took off his thick jacket to throw over the coach. The house wasn't that much warmer and he was wearing a sleeveless shirt, but he didn't feel like turning the heat on. It felt like the ghost of Gonou was rummaging around in the kitchen, and if he imagined hard enough he could almost see the smile and hear him say, _"Have you eaten, Gojyo?"_

_Nah, man_, he said to the ghost, _I can take care of it myself._ He walked up to the freezer and took out the food that Gonou had made for him before he was arrested. It was a little gray and covered with ice crystals, nothing like what it looked liked before. He read the notepad with instructions that had remained untouched on the counter since Gonou left, straining to focus on his small, neat handwriting. _…Preheat oven… What the hell is that suppose to mean?_ He looked at the oven and couldn't find the on switch. _Okaaay…_ He started to randomly push buttons.

There was a soft wrap on the door.

"Go away!" he yelled and started turning knobs.

"Gojyo?" called a familiar voice, muffled behind the thin door. He stopped, curious, and then went to open it.

There stood Gonou. Not a ghost, but flesh and blood, nose and cheeks pink from the cold, wearing a forest-green trench coat and glasses. Gonou. "What?" he stammered.

"Gojyo." He smiled, vapor escaping his mouth as he spoke. "Are you cooking something?" He peered around him to see the food on the counter, the oven light on.

"Ah… Yeah."

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Sure, man," he stuttered, still trying to figure out what was going on. He moved aside so Gonou could pass and remove his jacket. Gonou picked up Gojyo's jacket off the couch, and carried both to the closet to hang up.

"Gojyo, it's freezing in here!" He walked up to the thermostat. "You'll catch your death."

"…Ah. Umm..." Gojyo ran his fingers through his hair.

Gonou then went to the kitchen and dumped the food away, making a thud in the plastic bin. "Don't eat that," he admonished and then placed the dish in the sink to run the water over it. He looked through the cabinets and refrigerator, lifting a pink can and showing it to Gojyo. "How 'bout some salmon patties?"

Gojyo looked curiously at the can and wondered where it came from. "Sure, man."

Gonou turned and started pressing buttons and turning knobs on the oven to return it to its original state. The house seemed to sigh with relief, embracing him as if he had never left.

"Hey, man," said Gojyo, nonchalantly. "Aren't ya suppose to be dead? Or… in prison?"

He turned to face him, smiling embarrassedly. "Oh, that. I suppose Detective Genjyo couldn't reach you in time. You should really get a phone, Gojyo."

"Yeah, sorry." He ran his fingers in his hair. "I was out all day… Wait. Why would Detective Genjyo be trying to reach me?"

"I've been pardoned, Gojyo. Isn't that great news? All thanks to Detective Genjyo."

"Pardoned? But how? And what about all that stuff on TV? About you getting killed by Hyakugenmaoh."

"Oh, that. They did try to attack me, but I killed them all. I'm afraid I'm still not use to my own strength."

"You killed them _all_?" He still had trouble imagining someone like Gonou killing anyone, not to mention over a thousand criminals.

"In self defense, Gojyo," he reinforced. "Well, after that happened, Judge Sanbutsushin thought it would be a good idea if I used the opportunity to change my identity, so I wouldn't have to be fighting Hyakugenmaoh all the time. It's Hakkai Cho now, Gojyo. I'm Gonou's twin brother separated at birth. They're still working on getting the paperwork together."

"Hakkai, huh?" questioned Gojyo. He watched that dark brown head bobbed once. He looked like a Hakkai. He never did get use to calling him Gonou. "I still don't understand why-" he began.

"Gojyo," he interjected. "Would you be interested in an employment opportunity?"

"A what?"

--

_Sanzo sat in the warden's sun-filled office, glaring at the governor's smug smile, the two idiots staring at him intently, Goku pulling at his sleeve. This was so stupid. She knew he didn't have a choice. Say no and have a man fully capable of rehabilitating sit on death row and waste the taxpayer's money? So that, why? He can continue to look for his father's murderers uninterrupted. He may be heartless, but he wasn't an idiot. He'd been looking for his father's murderers for eight years. He knew he wasn't going to find them anytime soon and, despite what Goku thought, he actually was a patient man._

"_I'll do it," snapped Sanzo, curtly._

"_Yay!" yelled Goku, fist flying into the air._

"_Thank you, detective," said Cho. "I owe you my life." _

_Sanzo ignored them, continuing to glare at the governor. What was she up to?_

_The governor gave a sly smile, her eyes soft. "I knew you would, Konzen." Sanzo's eye twitched at hearing this. "Now you guys, I won't be giving you your assignments because obviously I am needed at Carson City. Judge __Sanbutsushin will be doing that. You will report to him on Monday. There has been a recent incident-"_

"_Excuse me. May I make a suggestion?"__ Cho asked._

"_Yes?" questioned the governor._

"_I noticed that there would only be three of us on this team, am I correct?"_

_The gov__ernor patiently tilted her head curiously at him. "That's right."_

"_I would believe a more stragitically desirable number would be four. That way we may break into teams of two when necessary, a more advantageous situation than if one of us were to be left alone. Don't you agree?"_

"_My." She leaned back on the plush chair. "We certainly are full of surprises, Gonou Cho. Okay, I will hire another to join your IKKOU. Do you have someone in mind?"_

"_As a matter of fact, I do."_

"_No,"__ Sanzo interrupted. "Not your redheaded boyfriend. I will __not__ work with a known criminal low-life."_

"_Detective, be reasonable. He has excellent fighting skills. Top ranked in both L. A. _and _Las Vegas."_

"_What? In illegal street fighting?"_

"_And he is quite knowledgable of the underground world, where I'm sure the demons have taken root," continued Cho._

"_No."_

"_Hold on, detective," soothed the governor. "You're not the one making the decisions here."_

_Sanzo gave a_ _look of disbelief, his jaw dropping and eyes widening. "You've got to be kidding me. Why do you insist on grouping me with a bunch of morons?"_

_She turned to Cho, her voice silky with mischief as she asked, __"This redheaded boyfriend of yours. He wouldn't be Gojyo Sha, would he? The one that brought you to the hospital?"_

"_That's right, governor." Cho beamed._

_She then looked towards Sanzo. "The one that Konzen had failed to bring in for ass__aulting him?" Sanzo turned away, arms crossed. "Okay," she announced. "I will hire him."_

_Sanzo's head gave a sharp turn so that he could give Cho the most menacing look he can muster. _You ungrateful bastard!_ Cho gave him an apologetic smile in return._

--

Remembering the ordeal at the Nevada State Prison still irritated Sanzo as he strode in his canary bathrobe, black socks and flip flops down the hallway of his home to enter the relatively barren room where the shrine was kept. He closed and locked the door behind him. Breathing in the sweet incense that permeated its walls calmed him and he welcomed the peaceful reverence that washed over him whenever he entered the room. Its style, as with the rest of the house, was Asian contemporary. A small mahagony end table by the door graced an Asian vase and fresh flowers. The walls were decorated with authentic Chinese art, panoramic scenes of mountains, forests, desserts, and rivers, depicted by simple brushstrokes. In each scene were the same four tiny traveling companions and white horse.

Across from Sanzo was a large dark mahogany shrine, adorned with a golden Buddha, flowers, fruit, incense, and a picture of his father, Sanzo Koumyo.

There was another reason he had agreed to lead a bunch of idiots. The demons knew he was a sanzo priest, one who held one of five scared scriptures of heaven and earth. Sanzo crouched to push a secret panel, revealing a safe. He turned the dial and opened its heavy door. His fingers brushed on the rough paper of a scroll yellowed with age, covered in Chinese calligraphy and trimmed with green. Pulling it out into the room brightening with the morning sun, he examined it carefully. Father had two once.

Father had taught him the ways of a budhist monk, prepping him to become a sanzo priest. Meditation, martial arts, and magic were bread into him for as long as he could remember. However with all religions there was also faith, which Sanzo could not blindly give to anyone or anything, not to mention to an odd assortment of dieties with their own problems. The day his father died, he asked him if he wanted to become a sanzo priest, and he was honest. No, he said.

But that night, a group of men broke into their home to steal the scriptures, and his father had given his life not only to save him but the scroll he held in his hand. So he decided to become a sanzo priest after all, since it had been his father's last wish. However, aside from changing his name, searching for the stolen scripture, and keeping the remaining one safe, he wasn't sure what else that entailed, considering that the only person who knew was dead. This disease however; he felt that it was his responsibility.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Mr. Genjyo," called out the heavily accented voice of the maid.

Sanzo bit back his irritation. No one was to interrupt him while he was in this room. "You better have a good reason," barked Sanzo.

"I'm sorry Mr. Genjyo, but Mr. Cho is on the phone. He says that he can't call back," she apologized through the door.

Idiot didn't bring enough change again. For the past week, he had been staying with Sha who didn't have a phone and the nearest payphone was a bus ride away.

"I'll be right there," he snapped.

Sanzo concealed the secret compartment. Holding onto the scroll, he exited the room. Tonight, they would be going on their first mission.


	14. Chapter 14

With a cigarette in his mouth, Gojyo finished combing his hair in his tiny, rundown bathroom, placing the comb on the yellowed basin stained with cigarette burns. The stains were the same yellow as the once white paint peeling off the walls. Hakkai blamed cigarette smoke on the stains and fussed about renovating the place. He couldn't give a shit what Hakkai did. With all the money they would earn, they could buy a whole new house. Maybe even a phone so that Hakkai didn't have to take an hour bus ride to see Sanzo all the time, the lazy asshole. It was nice they would be getting a regular paycheck twice a month but to deal with the cop on a regular basis was a pain. It was Hakkai and Gojyo that went investigating. Not that Gojyo was into logic or anything, but wouldn't it have made more sense if the detective did the investigating?

Whatever. He and Hakkai did pretty well together. Gojyo would tell Hakkai everything he knew about the underground world, Hakkai would politely ask questions to big burly guys with tattoos in seedy bars and strip joints, and Gojyo would stand around acting tough for the both of them because, damn, Hakkai looked like a pansy. He knew more than anyone, except the cop who had gotten his ass kicked and lived to talk about it, that Hakkai could take care of himself. It was just that the last thing the guy needed was to send yet another asshole to hell because he had picked on the wrong person. He didn't know anything about Catholicism, but he was pretty sure that when Hakkai eventually did go to hell, being with all those people he killed would probably be really awkward.

Gojyo stepped out of the bathroom to see Hakkai by the kitchen table. He was in a buttoned-up collared shirt that was forest green and a black tie and studying the plans of the abandoned factory that they would be storming that evening. The guy was thorough.

"Gojyo, come here," he beckoned, eyes hiding behind the glare of his glasses.

"What is it?" He stood over brunet's shoulder to look at the blueprints of the factory that he had bought from the city with Gojyo's money since Hakkai's money was tied up with his old name. Damn cheap government. A person would think they would reimburse them. The only reason he didn't make a stink about it was because their paycheck would be massive. Once they received it that is. Pay day wouldn't be for a week.

"Which one of these store rooms do you think the demons would most likely keep the hostages? This one?" He pointed to a boxed area to the back corner. "Or this one?" He now pointed to a boxed area towards the middle.

Gojyo looked at the two areas and pretended to know what the differences were. "This one." He pointed at the one in the middle, mainly because it was closer.

"Hmmmm… I think I agree with you. Keeping the hostages in the middle of the factory would make much more sense. Less chance of escapes and easier access in case they want to snack. I know I would like to keep my food in the middle of the house. Wouldn't you?"

Eww… He didn't answer that. The whole idea of people, however transformed, eating people was just disgusting. "Hakkai, you're not planning on wearing that, are you?"

"Huh?" Hakkai looked down on himself and then at his sleeve buttoned at the wrist. "Why not Gojyo? This is appropriate attire for work, isn't it?"

"If you're an uppity banker. We're about to fight off some monsters. You should wear clothes that intimidate and kick ass at the same time. Like what I'm wearing."

Hakkai regarded Gojyo's white sleeveless shirt under a leather jacket and smiled as if it was all he could do to not laugh. "I'm sorry, but I think I lack that certain _charm_ to pull off your look."

Gojyo stood dumbly, slowly realizing that his friend was being sarcastic. "Hey! You're insulting me, aren't you?!"

There was a knock on the door, and Hakkai went to open it. "Really, Gojyo, I hardly think the demons would notice what we are wearing. They're deranged remember?"

The door swung open, and Gojyo could see the blond hair of the detective being illuminated by the light at the front, which Hakkai insisted needed to be in working order. It was midwinter, so it was dark early and Gojyo noticed that the street lights already on. "Hey, Hakkai!" Goku exclaimed.

"Goku! Detective. Come in, come in." Hakkai stood aside, and Goku came bounding gleefully in with two large bags of Chinese food, the sharp edges of the containers threatening to stretch the plastic to breakage.

"Can we eat first?!" He was wearing an orange hockey uniform with a small furry red animal on the front. Heavy pads underneath made him look bigger than he really was. Sanzo, who grunted in response as he entered after Goku, was wearing what he normally wore; dark suit and tie, except he had an odd paper scarf upon his shoulders with…was that Chinese writing on it?

"What the hell are you two suppose to be?" roused Gojyo. "You know, Halloween passed already."

Goku whined, "Sanzo's making me wear this! So uncool!"

Hakkai closed the door behind them then made an unnecessary show of leading Goku to the table, which was only a few feet away from the front door. "You must excuse, Gojyo," Hakkai offered kindly, as he rolled up the plans so that Goku could put the bags on the table, "He's on fashion patrol today."

Sanzo was holding a large black box and several smaller thin cardboard boxes as he regarded Gojyo with that haughty glare of his. "He must think white trash is in fashion."

Snobby asshole. There was something about the detective that rubbed him the wrong way. "Well, at least I don't wear trash," he chided then reached out to touch Sanzo's paper scarf but was slapped away and given an evil eye for good measure.

Oh. He was so going to kick his ass. As soon as Hakkai wasn't looking… Wham! He grinned maliciously with these thoughts and then realized that Hakkai must have heard them, because he was giving him a warning glare. Seeing the normally smiley Hakkai glare was a little scary, so he quickly turned his thoughts to rainbows and butterflies. As if what he saw was a trick of the light, Hakkai reverted back to his pleasant self. "Now, now. What everyone's wearing is fine. Can we sit down and eat, please?"

On cue, Goku plopped himself down and picked up a fork with barely contained excitement. Underneath the dim light of the hooded chandler, Hakkai was putting out the odd assortment of dishes, glasses, and utensils that Gojyo owned but never saw all at once. This must be what it was like to have guests over and entertain. It was something Gojyo never imagined doing, and he felt that off-putting sensation that had become so frequent since he found Hakkai on his way home that rainy night. An odd combination of becoming normal as the world around him turned crazy.

"Here," the cop grunted, shoving the boxes towards Gojyo.

"What's this?" The boxes were heavier than they looked. He set them on the table, shoving the containers and plates toward Goku, who eyed the exchange with interest while shoveling food in his mouth. Setting aside the thin cardboard boxes, he unclasped the bronze latch of the large black one then lifted its lid open to reveal a large black gun with a long thin barrel embedded in velvet over custom foam. But Judge Sanbutsushin had temperally denied them guns since they all had criminal records, and buying from a retailer would have yielded the same results, which meant that Sanzo had bought it under his name for him.

"Sanzo baby…" He flung an arm around thin shoulders and felt them tense with irritation. "You shouldn't have."

"Get off of me, asshole, before I shoot your balls off," Sanzo gritted.

Gojyo jumped off of him as if he was suddenly on fire. "Okay, okay," he placated and then picked up the gun to examine, weighing the cold heavy metal in his hands and tilting it under the light.

"I didn't do it for you. I for one would like to survive our little ordeal. This whole not giving you a gun is idiotic." Sanzo plopped himself down and started to fill a bowl full of rice.

"Thanks, dude," cheered Gojyo, holding the pistol up to aim at the toaster. "How do you use it?"

Sanzo froze and looked up at Gojyo in disbelief. "You don't know how to use a gun? What kind of criminal are you?"

He then realized that the rest of the table had also froze and were looking up at him in disbelief. "A damn good one!" he exclaimed, cockily. "Never needed a gun before."

"Gojyo," cautioned Hakkai. "It might be a good idea for you to rely on a different weapon and use the gun as back up for now, until you've had enough practice with it, that is."

He slid the bullet chamber open and looked through it, curiously. "Yeah, man. That sounds like a good idea." Snapping the chamber closed, he placed the gun back in the box closed it and moved it, along with the smaller boxes (which were most likely the cartridges) to the kitchen counter.

He sat by Goku, who regarded him with round golden eyes. He was so cute that Gojyo couldn't resist giving him a noogy. Goku cursed at him and ducked away. "How come Hakkai and I don't get one, Sanzo?" Goku mumbled over a mouth full of food, rice spitting out.

"You two are clinically insane," he informed him, not looking up from his bowl.

"That sucks!" Goku spat, food spraying over the whole table, some over Gojyo's hand that was reaching out for some pork chops.

Gojyo wiped his hand on a paper napkin and glared at the monkey. "Keep your food in your mouth, ape!" Gojyo admonished. Not looking sorry, Goku wiped the rice from his face and blatantly ignored him.

Gojyo was about demand respect when Hakkai interrupted. "Now, now, Goku," he said, smiling pleasantly. "I think killing demons with our bare hands would be much more fun, don't you think?" Gojyo shivered. _Disturbing._

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Hakkai," conceded Goku. "I'll be using Nyoi-Bo, though."

"Nyoi-Bo?" Hakkai inquired. "That would be your staff, wouldn't it?"

Goku nodded.

"I still don't understand how you are able to make it appear and disappear like you do."

Goku shrugged, eating from the containers and not bothering to re-fill his bowl that stood empty and on its side.

"Hey!" Gojyo fumed. "Save some for the rest of us, stupid monkey!"

"Don't call me that, pervy Kappa!" Ever since Goku had discovered that he grew up on the Kappa Indian reservation, he'd been using it as means to insult him. It was boarding on being a racist comment, but Gojyo was hardly a person who cared. Although he pretended it did because it was fun to fight with Goku. While Goku was distracted, Gojyo quickly took the pot sticker that he was reaching for. "Hey, asshole! I was going to eat that!"

"You snooze, you lose, monkey boy," Gojyo mumbled. He had shoved the whole pot sticker in his mouth.

"Hey! Okay!" he declared with determination. His chair scratched against the floor as he stood up. "Take it out side!"

Gojyo swallowed in one tight gulp then also pushed his chair back to stand up and grab the kid's shirt front. "You want a piece of me?!"

Whack, whack! And Gojyo felt a sting at the back of his head. "What the fuck was that?!" he muttered, releasing the fabric to rub the back of his head.

"Ow, Sanzo!" Goku whined. He was also rubbing the back of his head.

Gojyo looked up to see the cop glaring down at them as he put a paper fan back into his jacket. Did he just whack him with a fan? What the hell?

"Shut up and eat," Sanzo growled.

"My, my," Hakkai chuckled cheerfully. "We certainly are energetic, aren't we?"

Goku sat back, forgetting that they were just having an argument, and started to attack the food with renewed vigor. Gojyo also sat back, rubbing his head a bit longer before he put more food onto his plate. Hakkai started to talk about strategy for the mission. Sanzo, with arms crossed, listened and stewed at the same time. Goku quickly grabbed the pot sticker that Gojyo was reaching for. He ignored the blatant act to piss him off and tried to come to grips with all that was going on, feeling a mixture of annoyance, bewilderment, and comfort. He smiled as he started to chew. It was the same house, but somehow it felt like home for the first time.

--

Cindy sat by the frigid wall hugging her bare knees. Her jaw strained from her chattering teeth. She had been shivering a mad storm since the monsters brought her to this dark, windowless room that smelled like a mixture of port-o-potty and boy's locker room. For the first couple of days, she had felt like hurling from the putrid stench but now she barely noticed it.

There were others with her, and she could hear them whimpering and crying in the darkness. Every once in a while, one of the monsters would shed light into the room to take one of them away, never to return, and somehow Cindy knew they weren't released. Between being cold, tired and scared, she felt like she was losing her mind as she struggled to focus on her one goal. Escape.

This seemed to be a running pattern in her life. Trapped in a shitty and often life threatening situation and needing to get away. Again. With her experience she should probably put a resume together and apply to star in one of those magic shows as an escape artist. The Amazing Cindy!

Cindy studied the others around her. It must be day, since the light coming from the cracks at the door and walls seemed to illuminate the darkness enough that she could make out individuals. There was no telling how their faces looked in the dark, but at least she could make out the general outline of where everyone was.

She suddenly realized that the whimpering and crying had stop. This made her nervous. "He-hey!" she called out towards the dark masses, her voice cracking from lack of use and her teeth chattering harshly. "A-any-o-one 'w-w-wake?"

A few weak groans followed.

"O-oh, g-good." It was taxing to keep her voice steady and her words clear. She didn't really feel like talking anymore but she was too afraid not to. "Wa-want 'sc-scape?" Well, duh. What a waste of energy to belt that out.

"What do you have in mind?" a steady accented male voice asked. Not even a tremble. She must be the only idiot that would wear a miniskirt in the dead of winter. Always preferred the cold, she did. Well, not anymore.

"Pi-pick lo-lock." She stood up, her joints and muscles stiff from staying in one position for too long. She walked then she walked to the door with legs that threatened to buckle from below her. She felt around at the door knob and, crouching to get a better look at the crack where the door met the frame, she felt around the doorknob using the light shining through. Occasionally, she caught a glimpse of shifting persons in the room beyond as she examined the mechanism before her. It was an easy lock. A credit card could release it, and someone was bound to have one of those.

She straightened and turned to the group. "Cre-cre-cre-cre-di-di-" she stammered. Someone stood up and the movement startled her. She stiffened, ready for anything as the one who stood up approached her. She flinched as a heavy coat fell upon her shoulders, pushing cold air up at her cheeks and hair. Looking up all she saw was a large dark blob of a shadow. "They never leave the door," commented the same voice as before.

"Wa-wait," she reassured him. Yes, wait. An opportunity always presented itself.


	15. Chapter 15

The IKKOU peered around the building to watch two individuals exit the front door of the abandoned factory. From this distance, Goku wouldn't have been able to know that they were demons if it weren't for the aura radiating from them. It was the same type of aura that radiated from the demons at the state prison. Hakkai also gave off an aura, but it was different, calm and steady, while the demons were wild.

It was night and darkness surrounded them, except for a few working street lamps. The lack of sounds from cars and hustling pedestrians created a disjointed world separate from the bustle of the city. The frigid night made his cheeks and nose feel numb, but Goku hardly noticed it. The rest of his body was hot as his heart pumped blood at full throttle, a determined grin spreading upon his face. He was finally going to let lose and kick some serious ass, and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

"Okay," whispered Hakkai as he fell back to talk to the others. "As expected, they don't guard the front. However there's no telling what to expect inside, so you two take care of yourselves."

"Yeah," Gojyo agreed with a cigarette hanging off his grin as he gave Goku a noogie. "Especially you, kiddo."

"Hey! Get off me, pervert!" Goku protested.

Sanzo loaded his gun. "You guys just hurry and join us as soon as you release the hostages. There's no telling how strong they will be."

"Sure thing, Sanzo baby." Gojyo waved a hand at them as he headed to the side of the building. Hakkai followed close behind.

"Goku, let's go!" ordered Sanzo.

"Yeah," Goku confirmed and they headed to the front of the building.

--

Cindy sat with her back against the door. Her knees were pulled up and covered under the jacket as much as possible. There was a chill seeping from the hard concrete below her, but she was feeling much warmer than she had since she arrived. Her teeth had stopped chattering and violent shaking had reduced to a dull tremor. The man who gave her the jacket had fallen asleep beside her, his head leaning back against the door. He had talked to her before he fell asleep about his life and how he came to the dark room they now shared. He was from out of town and had moved to Las Vegas to become a dealer. He was staying rent free at a cathedral, since his friend was the bishop of the Las Vegas Catholic Diocese. His friend had known about the monsters for the past two years. He had been helping his friend exorcise them, when he was caught. Cindy could hardly believe her ears. Two years there have been monsters, yet no one knew about them.

Cindy straightened as she heard the distant sounds of crashing and gunshots. Her heart started to pound in her chest and her muscles tensed.

"What was that?" the man murmured, not as asleep as she thought.

"Don't know." She turned to look through the crack of the door. The shadows beyond were moving frantically and then disappeared completely. She put her ear to the door and didn't hear anything. _Could they be gone?_

The man was looking through the other side of the door. "They've left," he confirmed.

She took a deep breath. "This is our opportunity," she whispered as she pulled out the credit card that another stranger had given to her earlier and started to work the lock.

The man announced to the rest of the room that they were leaving. There was an argument as some would rather take their chances and stay. Cindy ignored them. She would leave with or without them.

--

Gojyo and Hakkai waited for Sanzo's gun shots before they stepped out from behind the bushes to the side entrance, a rectangle of light barely visible in the black hole which was the side of the building. It was difficult for Gojyo to navigate in such darkness. It didn't help that the pavement there was cracked and broken, which had caused Gojyo to trip several times before Hakkai told him to hide in the bushes, which he actually ended up running into before he realized they were there. Hakkai's disease must have given him night vision. That would be the only explanation as to how he knew there were bushes there in the first place and how he was able to easily glide over all the cracks and bumps, which Gojyo now unceremoniously tripped over.

"Fuck!" he cursed.

"Gojyo! Shhh!" Hakkai whispered. "Please, be quiet."

"Look, man, I don't have demon vision like you do."

He might as well have been blind for all that he could see. Because of the darkness it was hard for Gojyo to gage how far away the door was, and he ended up ramming into Hakkai who did. "Oof!" His cigarette almost fell out of his mouth.

"Gojyo!" whispered Hakkai.

"Sorry, man."

Hakkai cracked the door open and they peered inside. The factory floor was crowded with machinery and equipment that still looked fully functional. Hakkai had said that the factory used to manufacture high-tech equipment for NASA and the military but needed to close down recently because of poor business decisions. He looked up at the ceilings, which was roughly forty feet high. The florescent lights that hung from its rafters were only partially lit, and a track with platforms hanging down from it ran between the ceiling and machinery obscuring the few lights that worked. He didn't know if this was a good or bad thing. Shadows meant that it would be easier for them hide if they needed to, but if these demons had Hakkai's night vision, then it would be to Gojyo's disadvantage. Gojyo smirked at this, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins. This was going to be interesting.

There were more gunshots, and they could hear the shuffling of a fight in the distance. There wasn't anyone around where they were, which meant that Hakkai's plan was working. They headed to the direction of the storage room in the middle of the factory. Gojyo kept a wary eye around him, even though Hakkai said it wouldn't be necessary. According to him, he could detect the demons since they released some kind of aura. Still, it paid to be cautious.

There was the sound of shuffling nearby and Gojyo spotted several silhouettes moving towards them. So there were some who hadn't joined the fray. Gojyo made for the machinery to hide. He detected Hakkai hesitate before following him. "What do you think we should do?" Hakkai asked.

"Ummm… Kill them?" Gojyo offered.

"That sounds like a good plan but would it be wiser to avoid a fight?"

"Uh, Hakkai. We gotta kill them anyway. Might as well start now, right?"

He looked at his friend hidden in shadow, the rim of his glasses reflecting the light. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but he guessed he had some doubt. "I suppose you're right," he concluded. Was he having cold feet? He couldn't blame him. This would be the first time he ever killed anyone when not in the heat of passion or defending himself. Gojyo, however, had only killed a handful of people but that was all to save other people. He didn't look it, but he was a regular Jesus Christ. This didn't feel any different. Kill others before they killed anyone else. That was his philosophy.

"Gojyo, I'm concerned."

"Hey. I totally understand, man. This killing thing is not easy, I know."

"No. Not that." He leaned forward to have a better look down the aisle. "I don't feel them."

"Huh?" Gojyo was only half listening. He was trying to decide whether he should use his gun or the retractable nunchucks he brought.

"There's supposed to be an aura and I don't detect it."

"You said it yourself. It's only a theory." He decided on the nunchucks and pulled it out of its casing. Hakkai said that they could probably dodge bullets, and he wasn't sure how good he was with the gun.

"You might be right."

The footsteps grew louder as a massive shadow heralded quite a large group that stepped into view. There were probably sixteen individuals, all looking bedraggled and smelling something awful, but he and Hakkai could take them, no problem. He stood and whipped the nunchucks to extend it. He made a dash for it and swung at the nearest individual, a large man with dreadlocks that seemed to turn in slow motion. In horror, Gojyo discovered very human eyes lock with his. He staggered with the realization, but his momentum was pulling him forward and there was no stopping the nunchuck's journey to the man's face. Except, that is, for Hakkai's thin hand that met with it out of nowhere and guided its trajectory away from its intended victim. The impact of flesh meeting wood echoed off of the cavernous ceiling, and Gojyo released a sigh of relief.

"We're sorry," Hakkai calmly apologized. "We thought you were someone else."

They were a pathetic lot, all round-eyed and scared looking, probably hadn't bathed in weeks, but they were human. He wondered how they had gotten out of the storage room or if the demons let them wonder around like sheep. "Hey, folks, we're the calvary!" he announced and gave them his most dashing grin. A girl with tousled blond hair and an oversized jacket gaped wide-eyed at Hakkai before she turned and ran deeper into the factory. "Ooo-kay."

"Cindy!" called out the large man and as he tried to run after her but Hakkai blocked his way.

"Please, miss," Hakkai shouted to the girl. "Don't run that way!"

Gojyo ran after her.

"Gojyo!"

"I'll meet up with you later!" he called back as he weaved between machinery to gain distance on the girl. She passed through the narrow gaps without pausing. "Hey, kid! Wait up!" He was much larger than her and the path she chose was to her advantage. He slipped the nunchucks back in its case so that he could run more easily. "We're here to save you! Why are you running?"

No response. A tangled mess of blond hair bobbed ahead of him. He saw the flash of Sanzo's gunshots in the distance and knew she was heading to the fray. He needed to stop her quick, before she does something really stupid.

--

"Fuck!" Sanzo cursed as he reloaded his gun, causing Goku to overcompensate for him again. Going on the defense caused them to back up to the loading docks where they would be out in the open and most vulnerable. They needed to stay close to the machinery, so that the demons were forced to confront them in small groups. But Hakkai had grossly underestimated the demon count, and the numbers were overwhelming them.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Goku's staff swing in deadly red arches. Wood collided with flesh, and the sounds of bones crushing and demons roaring before they died a horrible death echoed against the cement building and metal machinery. The smell of blood was thick in the air, and Goku was in the midst of it all, grinning.

Sanzo finished reloading his gun and shot off five deciding bullets, causing five bodies to fall, but more ran around the corner to replace them. "God dammit!" he cursed as he reloaded his gun again, stepping back as the onslaught continued coursing through the spaces between the machinery. "Where the fuck are those morons?!"

--

Gojyo found a path parallel to the blonde's that was spacious enough for him to sprint and gain ground. He jumped and tackled the girl onto the ground, purposely using all his weight to pin her, but she didn't struggle to escape. Some ash from his cigarette fell on her face, and he blew it away before it fell in her eye.

"Hey, kid, you're heading the wrong direction."

"Gonou Cho," she mumbled between heaving breaths, and Gojyo understood why she ran. She must have seen him in the news.

"You think that's Gonou Cho?" He laughed, trying to cover his half truth. "That guy's Hakkai. Gonou's dead. Didn't you see it in the news?"

She blinked up at him. "But he moves like Gonou Cho."

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "How-" he started, but the rustle of movement made him realize they weren't alone. He looked up and saw that they were surrounded by demons, exactly as Hakkai described; pointy ears, strange coloring and muscular. They were blocking the way that they had come in. He swallowed hard. There were more than twenty of them, and Gojyo had only successfully fought five humans, so he was definitely in deep shit. He stood to face them and smiled, partially to hide his uncertainty and partially because he was anticipating the rush of a good fight. With a whip of his wrist he extended his nunchucks.

"You know how to use a gun, kid?"

She sat up and narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you think?"

He smirked. Just his luck, a sassy one. She caught the gun that he tossed at her. "Try not to shoot me, okay?"

Her eyes grew as she realized what he wanted her to do.

He swung the nunchucks around him, causing hair and ash from his cigarette to fly away. The demons didn't rush him. In fact they seemed surprised and watched the nunchucks as if fascinated. "I'll clear the way for you," he called out to the girl. "As soon as you can, make a run for it."

He could hear the gun shaking in her hands over the sound of the nunchucks whizzing by his ears. Hopefully she didn't kill him before then.


	16. Chapter 16

Hakkai led the hostages to another factory four blocks away. It was chilly, so the hostages sat huddled against the building as he stood, using Sanzo's cellphone to contact the ambulance company contracted by the IKKOU program. Hakkai snapped the phone shut and started to systematically check the hostages for injuries. They were mostly women of the streets and homeless men. He asked them questions while lifting arms and searching pupils. Their sour stench was unavoidable up close, but one must always be respectful of others so he did his best to remain pleasant. They ignored him as he did this, distracted when answering questions and preferring to nervously watch the large, dimly lit parking lot beyond.

Hakkai stood straight after he checked the last one and concluded that, other than being rattled and scratched, they were perfectly fine. Next he needed to tell them that they would receive a government stipend if they were to sign a gag order to keep them silent about the existence of demons. He performed this duty half-heartedly, not bothering to sound convincing, since, truly, he felt offering stipends was unnecessary and a waste of funds. Judging by the tremendous aura he felt, there must had been thousands at the factory, which meant that the numbers reported missing from infection, kidnapping, and murder could hardly be left unnoticed for long.

The ambulance arrived. A medium sized man, thick and heavy with muscle and wearing a grey uniform, stepped out of the driver's seat to approach him. "You must be from Sanzo IKKOU," he deduced, probably because Hakkai was the only one that bothered noticing him. The muscles in the man's arm rippled as he reached out his hand to shake Hakkai's. His partner, a little taller than him but with a similar built, stepped out of the vehicle to see to the hostages.

"Yes. I've checked the hostages and they're fine. They might need a little hydration but nothing a glass of water can't remedy. I believe taking them to the hospital would be unnecessary, and I'm sure they're anxious to sleep in their own beds."

"Okay." The man shrugged. "We get paid no matter where we take them."

The other one was passing items to the hostages: blankets, water bottles, contracts with clipboards, and pens.

"You might need to return later tonight. The rest of the IKKOU's still at the factory four blocks away," Hakkai informed as he pointed into the darkness beyond the parking lot.

"Sure," he replied and turned to help his partner, who was giving the group the same speech that Hakkai just gave about the gag order.

Hakkai started his way back to the demon infested building. The lights in this parking lot were fully functional, illuminating the parallel white lines that seemed to roll below him as he sprinted. The rhythmic pounding of shoes on the concerte was the only sound that could be heard in this desolated part of the city. His thoughts ran ahead of him, trying to figure out his next step to the predicament at hand. He had no idea where Gojyo was. He felt Sanzo's cell phone bounce in his back pocket and wished he wasn't hired at the beginning of the pay period. He could have used the money to pay for cell phones. He could have been calling Gojyo instead of having to wonder where he was. It irritated him that the IKKO program provided them with nothing, despite all the supposed money they were saving them. He would definitely have Sanzo speak to someone about terminating the stipends; that money could be so much more useful elsewhere. If only he had known that Gojyo didn't know how to use a gun, then he would have asked Sanzo to buy cell phones instead.

He picked up his pace. It was his fault really. He had taken for granted that feeling of total understanding he and Gojyo shared and had mistaken it for actual understanding. He didn't know why he so certain that Gojyo could use a gun, but it came from that strange part of him that held Gojyo before he even knew him. Even now, as Gojyo acted unpredictably, that part of him already predicted it; a strange nameless thing of knowing and not knowing.

He stopped. The abandoned building stood in front of him, a shadow with sharp edges against the artificially lit overcast night. He pursed his lips in thought. Should he meet up with the detective and Goku or should he search for Gojyo? He weighed each pro and con and categorized them in a mental spreadsheet as he took a shaky breath and watch it materialize in the chilly air. After making his decision, he continued forward.

--

Sanzo reloaded his gun with the last of the bullets. He needed to start being frugal and he needed time to decide his next move. He watched Goku, whose unbound energy seemed to increase the longer he fought. They were backed up in a corner, trapped, but at least they were safe from a surprise attack. He holstered his weapon and took out a cigarette to smoke.

"Hey!" yelled Goku between blows. "Make me do all the work!"

"Shut up, monkey. I need to think." He blew out a puff of smoke. The next course of action wasn't pretty, but he didn't see any choice in the matter. He was about to tell the monkey, when the demons stopped fighting and started retreating.

Goku stood surprised in the midst of an ever widening clearing as they fell back, Nyoi-bo lax at his side. He gave Sanzo a puzzled look as he questioned, "What's going on, Sanzo?"

He whispered back, his cigarette frozen before his mouth, "I don't know."

A voice with a hint of an accent called out from on top of the machinery ahead of them, "There will be no more death of our brethren!" Looking up, Sanzo discovered two alphas illuminated by the florescent lights blinking above. Sanzo could tell they were alphas by the fact they were clean and that their eyes, although inhuman, were not vacant like the rest. The one who called out was the shorter, brawny one. He had light brown hair and eyes and wore a stained printed T shirt with its sleeves cut off, looking like a middle-aged shop mechanic who supported a family of three. The taller thin one was a teenager and had ebony hair that was cut close to the scalp, wearing a black trench over white T-shirt and faded jeans. His pale gray eyes were lost in his paper white complexion.

"A sanzo priest," the white one smirked as his malicious eyes glinted like a sharp blade. "They say eating the flesh of a sanzo priest will grant you immortality."

The shorter one grinned as he jumped off the machinery to face Sanzo. "I get dibs on immortality. Must taste good."

Sanzo threw down his cigarette. "Eat me, asswipe!"

Confused brown eyes turned to the teenager who jumped off the machinery to face Goku. "You sure he's a priest?"

While the shorter man wasn't looking, Sanzo dashed then struck him as hard as he could, and he fell onto the ground with a thud. As he lay shocked on the ground, Sanzo started stomping on his face, body, and groin. Sanzo used all his weight, since demons were supposed to be tougher than humans. Blood started oozing out of the demon's nose and ears. The demon grunted with each blow, choking on his own blood, but he continued to live. _Die, dammit._ Without his gun, it was like trying to kill a cockroach.

"You sick freak!" exclaimed the white demon, who rushed towards him but was blocked by Goku who shoved him hard in the chest. The demon skidded across the factory floor several feet before creating an impact with the machines behind him. Bolts and metal bits snowed around him as he snarled and dove towards Goku. Their movements carried them out of Sanzo's line of sight, but he could hear the familiar scuffling and grunting of a fight.

Sanzo's heart labored under the sudden exertion. Feeling the blood leave his limbs, he finally decided to use a bullet and took his gun to shoot. The demon took advantage of Sanzo's pause and rolled out of the way. The bullet embedded itself into the factory floor, a trail of smoke rising from the crack. _Damn it! Now there were only four bullets left. _The darker demon stood with his back curled and glaring at him with his one good eye, since the other was swollen shut. He spit out a tooth. "Human," he growled, "I'm going to enjoy every bite."

"Hard to chew with no teeth," he sneered.

The demon threw a punch. Sanzo side stepped, and the fist sliced the air by his cheek. He threw another punch. Sanzo pulled back, causing the demon to stubble forward. The demon was fast, but not nearly as fast as Hakkai. Additionally, the demon was too angry and amateur which meant that his punches were wild and out of control.

A large booming sound rattled throughout the building. It surprised Sanzo, almost bringing his defenses down. There was another one and the machine behind Goku collapsed onto itself. Sanzo then realized that the white demon was doing magic. With a wave of his hand, air daggers materialized in front of him, an act that disrupted the air around and creating the boom sound. The air daggers would have been invisible if they didn't glint under the dim light like tiny fish. With a flick of an arm, the daggers sliced through the air towards Goku. Goku seeming to sense them coming, dodged the attack with a deft side step.

Sanzo sneered. He wasn't impressed by these guys. If anything, dealing with the hoard was more of a challenge. He looked up and saw that the betas were still there, waiting. Sanzo assumed that as soon as these two were killed, the other demons would recommence where they left off. Goku knew this too. His fight was not as rigorous as it had been a few moments ago with the betas. He glanced back at Sanzo as if to say "Now what?" He was stalling so that Sanzo could think of a plan. There was one, but Sanzo preferred that the two morons show up and save their asses instead. Unfortunately, unlike Goku, Sanzo's energy was not unbound and he could feel his muscles tire. As Sanzo sidestepped another overly extended blow, he stuck his foot out to trip the demon. Arms flail in a futile attempt to gain balance. Sanzo aimed and shot a hole in the back of his head, causing the body to hit the ground with a thump. Dust rose around it.

"You bastard!" yelled the other one, his voice barely audible over the boom his magic made.

"Sanzo!"

With a start, Sanzo's head snapped up to see a blur materialized in front of him as Goku, arms outstretched like Jesus Christ. _No!_ Frozen, he was caught and transported back in time. He was no longer in the factory, but thirteen in a darkened room as rain intruded through the open patio door where the burglars had entered. The resounding slash of flesh and cloth tore through his soul as he watched his father die and fall to the floor. With a surge, time restarted and Sanzo caught Goku in his arms. The impact of the demon's magic attack caused them to fly back a few feet before they landed on the ground. Goku was not moving and blood quickly soaked his shredded orange jersey. The demon was ranting angrily as he approached them, but Sanzo was too shocked to react. He heard the boom, and Sanzo braced for impact.

"Detective!" Sanzo's heart sunk as something green leaped from the top of the machinery to stand between him and the daggers.

"No!" Sanzo uttered. With a rush, there was a flash of green light that surrounded them, and Sanzo covered Goku as best he could. He looked up and was surprised to see Hakkai still standing, looking perplexed at his hand. "What just happened?"

"I'm not sure," whispered Hakkai.

"An energy barrier?!" stammered the demon. "But how were you able to form one so fast?"

"Ahh…" Hakkai was still looking at his hand as if the answer was held within.

"I can see that we underestimated you," the demon announced and leaped onto the machinery to retreat.

Hakkai turned to Sanzo. "What should we do?"

Sanzo had the urge to run after the demon in a blind rage but realized that Goku's chest was moving. He felt for a pulse and found one, faint. The blood was pooling around him at an alarming rate. He looked up and as predicted the betas were moving in on them. "You fight the demons," ordered Sanzo as he started tearing into Goku's clothes to access the wounds. "I'll take care of Goku."

In the corner of his eye, he saw green collide with the mass that was the demon hoard, accompanied by the sounds of grunts and flesh pounding on flesh. Sanzo took off his jacket, causing the paper fan to fall useless onto the ground. He paused in mid motion to regard it before he started shredding his jacket. "God dammit, monkey! I'd kill ya if you weren't already dying!"

--

Gojyo whacked away another demon, causing the monster to step back in a daze before shaking it off and attacking again. These suckers were hard to kill with just bludgeoning. Mentally he was kicking himself for not bringing some sort of blade weapon. _Next time_, he thought. _If there'll be a next time. _These guys were strong, but they were stupid. They didn't even try to dodge; instead they literally rushed head long into his attacks. A blade would have cut them to shreds in an instant, but as it stood he was only able to stun them momentary. It allowed him to make a path for the girl along the wall of steal and gears to reach the space between the machinery that led to the way out, but after that he wasn't too sure what would happen. He glanced back at her. The gun was shaking in her hands. The gun would have also been a better weapon if she'd actually used it.

They were crowding around him more, attacking simultaneously when before they were approaching him one at a time. He gritted his teeth as he manipulated the sticks at a faster rate than he was use to. _Just a little bit more_, he told himself. _There._ He glimpsed back at the girl, standing rigid in front of the opening, still wide-eyed and pointing the gun into the crowd, when she should be running like hell away.

"Go, already!" Gojyo shouted over the melee. While his focus was divided, sharp claws caught onto his shoulder, tearing through jacket and flesh. "Ahh!" It stunned him, but he recovered quickly to swing the baton up a demon's jaw, causing him to fly back and knock down two demons behind him.

"I can't leave you," she stammered.

He could feel the blood trickle down his arm, underneath his jacket. "I…" He swung at a demon attempting to pass him to get to the girl. "…can't…" He swung at another one. "…hold 'em-"

Two rushed him at once. He swung the baton at an angle, causing one demon to careen against the other, but another demon took advantage of his follow through and stabbed sharp claws into his side. He gasped and watched helplessly as fangs came down on him. There was a gunshot that echoed off the dark ceilings, and Gojyo watched in surprise as a trickle of blood trailed down his attacker's nose from a dark circle that had appeared on his forehead. Catlike eyes grew wide as the body became limp and fell away from him. Consecutive gun shots echoed around him and the demons fell in a heap around him. He turned and discovered the large hostage from earlier reloading the smoking gun he had given the girl. The girl peered behind the man, curious and still not running like hell as she should be. "Hey! Thanks, man!" Gojyo shouted and grinned as he side stepped an attack and delivered a blow onto the demon's neck. He heard the break and the body fell on top of the growing heap. Gojyo's first kill. Things were finally looking up for him.

"Call me Gat," announced the man and shot more bullets into the crowd.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: It's a miracle! I updated! As you can tell I won't be updating as frequently as I did in the beginning. Moving out of my parents' house in July really took away a lot of my spare time. Here's hoping for another miracle._

--

Gojyo buttoned up his jacket after Cindy finished wrapping his wounds with shreds of his shirt. Dark circles made her eyes seem large and weary, and behind the bravado he knew she was at her wits end. Still he couldn't help feeling impatient at how long she took. He was in a hurry and needed to meet up with the rest of the guys. It didn't help that the girl's hands were shaking and that her eyes kept darting at the twenty dead bodies that lay strewn over the factory floor.

"Thanks, kiddo," he said as he tugged at the end of the haystack which was her hair. The big guy –didn't he say his name was Gat?-- offered him his gun. "Keep it. You might need it. "

Gat's facial expression remained as if disinterested as the gun fell naturally to his side. "Are you not coming with us?" he asked.

Gojyo picked up his nunchucks, eyeing the weapon as if it betrayed him. Useless piece of shit. He was only able to kill three with it. "Nah," he concluded. "I still got work to do." He pressed the nunchucks back in its case. "There should be an ambulance or van waiting for you outside. They can take you anywhere you need to."

Still expressionless, Gat said before turning to leave, "Thank you for saving us." The girl's large eyes regarded him one last time before she followed after the much larger man. Gojyo still didn't know how she knew Hakkai, but it didn't really matter.

He started his way to the melee when something metallic and shiny caught his eye. He walked over to a large machine attached to a conveyer belt. Balanced on a hook was a long, thin metal pipe with a large crescent moon blade at one end and a smaller paddle blade at the other. Gojyo lifted it out of the hook and weighed it in his hand before inspecting it closely. The blades looked as if they were just sharpened yesterday. The pipe portion was made out of some kind of thin new age material, but it weighed as if there was something inside. There was a square button flushed with the pipe towards the crescent moon end. Pressing it caused the moon end to fall away, attached with a chain. Pressing the button again caused it to retract back. He gave it a few test swings before spinning it around him. It was heavier than ideal, but it would be more useful than his nunchucks.

His eyes caught on something else, a button that glowed green. Without thinking, he pressed it and the machine came to life. A platform in front of him started to move and ascend up over the machinery, heading towards the skirmish. Gojyo smiled and hopped on the platform that followed the first one. He would arrive in style.

--

Sanzo touched the makeshift bandage around Goku's chest. It was soaked through, covering his hand with bright red. "It's no use," he whispered. "Cho, take Goku to the hospital, I'll stay and stall the demons."

Hakkai was moving at a rapid pace, causing bodies to fly and collide with oncoming demons, but he still managed to pause and give Sanzo a look of disbelief. "You can't take these numbers by yourself!" he reasoned. "And I know you don't have very many bullets left."

Sanzo glared at the green-eyed man. "Goddamm it, Cho! Do what I say!"

Hakkai looked back at Sazno as he flung a demon onto an oncoming one. "Detective, I have a theory."

Sanzo was impatient and irritated at his subordinate's insolence. Goku's skin was blanching more and more each moment that passed. Sanzo pressed the back of his hand to Goku's forehead and discovered that it was cool and clammy. "This is no time for testing theories!" he gritted. "If Goku doesn't get to the hospital soon-"

The machinery overhead started with a lurch, and the grinding of gears can be heard over the shuffles and cries of the ongoing fight. Empty platforms passed above them, creating shadows that moved across the crowded factory floor. "What now?" grunted Sanzo.

A shadow leaped from a platform on to the top of nearby machine. "Missed me, copper?" announced Sha, giving him a flirtatious wink.

"You sure took your sweet time, asshole!"

"Gojyo! You're still alive!" Cho smiled as he dislocated a demon's arm.

"Uh… Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hakkai," Gojyo said and joined him in the fray. They fought back to back, falling into a natural rhythm that looked as if they'd been doing this for years. Sha swung his weapon and sliced through two demons, the blade catching on bone but pushing through regardless. The bodies fell in a heap at his feet. Gojyo's eyes beamed as he examined the blood drenched blade. "Hey! This is a pretty good weapon!" Sanzo did not recall Sha bringing such a weapon and surprised that he must have found some high tech tool that was left behind. Sha looked over at Sanzo. "What's up with the monkey?"

"He's in need of medical attention, but your idiot of a roommate won't do anything about it."

"Hakkai!"

"Calm down. Gojyo, with you here, Goku has a chance." With Sha fighting, Sanzo noticed that Cho had enough time to pause and position himself in what he recognized as gathering an energy ball, a move used for meditation in qigong, which hardly seemed appropriate at the current circumstances, except that a green glowing ball actually did materialized within Cho's hands. "Move, Gojyo!"

"Huh?" sputtered Gojyo as he side-stepped instinctively, allowing Cho to release the energy ball in a steak of light. As it left his hands, it grew ten times its size. It hit the crowd in a bright flash and demons screamed in agony as pure energy burned through them. The charred remains of their bodies gently fluttered to the ground.

"Just as I thought! At my heightened state, utilizing qigong techniques manifests massive and tangible forms of energy."

"Holy shit, Hakkai!" gaped Sha.

"Detective! Qigong is known best for its health and restorative benefits, therefore-"

"Therefore, you can heal Goku," Sazno completed.

"Correct."

"God dammit! Stop talking and start doing!" He lifted Goku off of his lap and placed him on the ground as if he was made of eggshells. Goku was peacefully sleeping. Too peaceful actually, and his skin had taken on an ashy appearance. Cho crouched by Goku and placed a hand over his chest. Gentle green eyes with an edge of determination met his. _Trust me_, they said. Sanzo grimaced. It wasn't as if he had a choice.

He stood to join Gojyo, glancing back once to notice green energy flaring around the two. The light emanating from Cho's hands over Goku's chest was close to blinding, closer to white than green. He could sense the healing energy emanating from that light and knew it must be working. Only then was Sanzo able to focus on the fight at hand. A demon came charging at Sanzo. He side-stepped, then delivered a quick hit to the back of his neck with the gun, severing the spinal column. He dodged another demon, grabbed his arm and flipped him over. While the demon was flat on his back, he stomped on his face but the demon continued to glare at him spitefully despite, very much alive. Damn. What a pain.

Just then, the crescent moon of Sha's weapon fell heavily upon the demon's neck, severing the head completely, causing it to roll away from the body. The blade returned to the staff with a quick snap. "Why aren't you shooting?"

"Need to save bullets," Sanzo snipped while delivering a blow to a demon's nose, causing him to cry out in agony as blood squirted through fingers that covered his face. "Why aren't you?"

Sanzo noticed that Gojyo paused at this question before answering, "Uh. Yeah. That…" Two demons descended on him, distracting him from finishing stammering out a decent answer. He swung the blade through both of them at once, causing them to fall back and clutch at the gushing wounds in their abdomens.

Sanzo studied him as he broke another demon's nose. He didn't have it, and after all the trouble he went through to get it for him. "Did you lose the gun, you worthless shit for brains?!"

"No!" Sha defended himself. "I gave it to a hostage, and don't call me that!"

A hostage? Why the fuck did he do that? He really was an idiot. "I call 'em as I see them, shithead," he snarled.

"Why, you son of a-!" He grabbed a fist full of Sanzo's shirt, pulling him away from a charging demon that lost his balance and fell to the ground face first.

"Guys! The demons," Cho reminded, eyes stern as if trying to gain attention from kindergarteners. Sha remembered himself and released Sanzo's shirt to whip the blade across the crowd. Cho was no longer glowing and was now holding on to one of his wrists, clenching a fist. Cho had taken on a hollow appearance as if he was on the verge of withering away. With all the fighting and chi manipulation he'd done that night, Sanzo wasn't surprised. "Detective, it worked. I closed up Goku's wounds, and he seems to be recuperating at a rapid pace on his own."

Just then, there was a deep rumbling coupled with what sounded like Goku munching on deep fried chicken. Everyone was still, IKKOU and demons alike, as they tried to make sense of what was happening. There was a mass of flesh and appendages where the corpse of the alpha demon was, and its appearance resembling the alpha demon. Its skin stretched and bubbled as if there were something inside. Sanzo then realized that killing it must have triggered a metamorphosis. Crab-like pinchers formed and started picking up demons, dead or alive, and dropped them into a bristly area where mandibles opened up to close around the bodies, moving rhythmically as if chewing. The sounds of wet flesh smacking and crunching of bones could be heard over the clicking and whirl of machinery. These sounds were then masked by the stampede of demons escaping. The monster continued to grow, extending its reach and picking up demons even as they turn and run.

"Whoa! Gross," commented Sha. "When do you think it will stop growing?" The creature had grown so big that it caused machinery to be lifted from its bolts and pushed aside, metal rumbling over concrete floor.

"Probably when there are no more bodies," Cho reasoned.

Sha regarded the stacks of bodies that the IKKOU had created that evening. Like being on the set of some incredibly gruesome horror flick, the floor was covered with them. "That's gonna to take a while! Better start hacking now." He sprinted, leaped and then swung at it, but the blade bounced off a hard shell that had formed around it. Sha's gripped his weapon as if recovering from the impact and then gave a baleful look at the monster.

"Gojyo! Aim for the joints! They're unprotected!" Cho called out.

Sha swung at the soft tissue, causing a thick black liquid to fountain over him. He ducked his head to keep it from his face and rolled away in time. "Eww," he groaned. The limb fell off but another grew from its place. "Any other bright ideas, genius?"

"We need to destroy it all at once," Sanzo said looking towards Hakkai.

"I'm afraid I cannot form a chi blast large enough," Hakkai responded. It continued to grow, towering and casting a shadow over them. Its claws drew dangerously closer to where Cho crouched by Goku.

"Move out!" commanded Sanzo.

Cho lifted Goku over his shoulder, and they started to run towards the parameter of the factory. "Detective," heaved Cho as they ran. "I suggest we retreat and let the military take care of this."

"What?" contributed Sha. "But I thought we were supposed to keep this under wraps."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we have no choice."

"I can do it," Sanzo announced between gasps. "I can kill it."

They stopped running and stood catching their breaths.

"Now, who's the idiot?!" Sha scolded. "Even I know that bullets won't do shit!"

"I didn't say I was going to shoot it."

"What the hell are you going to do then?!"

"Gojyo," Cho intervened. "I think we should let the detective try." Cho gave him a knowing look as if giving his permission.

Taking a steady breath, Sanzo stepped forward and placed his hands in prayer. Sanzo had never done this before and wondered if it would work. Bowing his head and closing his eyes, he centered his thoughts as he began the chant. The surge of power started small but grew so quick he nearly lost focus. It was a power so great he wondered at his ability to control it but he was doing it, containing it within his words, with his focus. He felt the warm energy swirl and push air around him, causing his sutra to flutter and his hair to lift. Behind his eyelids, he knew he was surrounded by light.

"Oh, holy scripture, I call upon your powers to send this creature back into the darkness." His eyes then snapped open and trained on its target, his hand out stretched, directing the energy away from him and towards the creature. "Makai Tenjyo!" he called out. The sutra lengthened, multiplied, and expanded all around him, fluttering in the air in long graceful waves, surrounding him and the creature and for a brief moment they were connected. The energy surged forward in a rush of heat and light, engulfing the creature as well as a few pieces of the machinery.

The monster gave a deafening roar before it was sucked out of existence. The wind, light, and warmth died down with the creature, leaving the factory cold and silent. Ahead of them was a big gap in the machinery and blood smeared all across the ground. The creature was nowhere in sight. Sanzo's sutra returned to its former size and softly rested upon his shoulders. The only sound left was the mechanical creaking of the track above.

"Holy shit…" Sha whispered.

--

Moments later they were in the parking lot and an EMT was strapping Goku to the gurney. "But I'm fine," moaned Goku as he was pushed into the back of the ambulance. Then he added in a panic, "Is there food at the hospital?"

Gojyo rolled his eyes. As soon as they had exited the factory, Goku had woken up and started asking for food, and he hadn't stopped since. Getting injured must have made the monkey twice as hungry, but Gojyo was starting to get annoyed by the monkey's constant whine for food but was glad he was healthy looking and walking around without help. However he didn't have the same bounce and energy he usually had, so the detective insisted that he go to the hospital.

An ambulance with was waiting for them when they left the building, hiding in the shadows underneath a broken light post. They would have been missed if the EMTs hadn't flagged them down to their location; two short buff guys. They must be freezing, wearing short sleeves in the fidget night air. Besides the ambulance was a non-descript semi with a white trailer. Men in white jumpsuits exited the back, carrying stretchers and wheeling high tech equipment. Hakkai shook his head disapprovingly at as the high tech equipment was pushed by them. They looked expensive, and Hakkai grumbled something about poor allocation of funds.

Goku was now being dramatic, explaining that he would starve to death if there wasn't food in the hospital. His head leaned forward to speak to Sanzo, since his torso was strapped onto the gurney. "Shut it!" snapped Sanzo at Goku as he handed Hakkai his keys. "Meet us at the hospital." Hakkai received the keys like a kid accepting candy. Sanzo climbed into the back with Goku and one of the EMTs. The other EMT shut the doors, climbed onto the front, and drove off. The sirens were not turned one, and Gojyo and Hakkai watched the ambulance silently rolled down the street. As it turned the corner, they started their way to Sanzo's car.

"Were you able to retrieve that girl?" Hakkai asked Gojyo.

"Yup. Damn girl was a slippery sucker."

"She seemed familiar somehow. I wonder why she ran away." Guilt flittered through his features before he looked down at his hands.

Gojyo then realized where she was from; a survivor from his massacre. He leaned his arm over Hakkai's shoulder. "Hey, man. Don't worry about it. She's doing way better than I am, that's for sure."

Hakkai paused and looked up at him, concerned. "Are you injured? Maybe we should have someone take a look at you."

"No way, man! And pay for a hospital bill?!" Gojyo pulled away and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Gojyo. You can afford it now. Your job comes with health insurance."

His jaw dropped. "Health insurance? Really? Now I know the end is near. Gojyo Sha has health insurance."

Hakkai smiled. "You mean monsters and grand displays of holy magic didn't tip you off?"

Gojyo laughed, causing the wound at his side to hurt. "Wouldn't it be a hoot if we were the ones to save it?"

Hakkai chuckled joined his, the two sounds filling the empty parking lot. "That _would_ be something." Hakkai replied as they reached the car. "You know, Gojyo, the night is still young, and I packed extra clothes. Would you like me to drop you off at the casino?"

Extra clothes? What was he, his mother? He shook away that thought. No way he wanted to associate the two to each other. He then considered going to the casino. After a big fight, Gojyo normally was in the mood to get laid. Tonight, however, he wasn't. "Nah," he answered as they got into the car and closed the doors. Hakkai started the engine. "Let's stop by McDonald's. Monkey boy needs food to heal."

Hakkai agreed and then pulled out of the parking lot to drive down the deserted streets. He was smiling as he drove, eyes creasing into half circles so that Gojyo wondered how he could see the road. Despite their blood-stained, torn clothes and dreary surroundings, it felt like they were taking a daytrip to the beach. Gojyo smiled to himself and then turned to watch the street lights pass, propping his elbow on the open window and letting the cool night air brush across his cheek. That feeling he had over dinner returned, and he decided to enjoy it while he could. It was so foreign that it took a while for him to place it and still he wondered if he was right. That feeling of belonging.

--

Epilogue

Hotou Biotech Company was a large twenty-four story building located in downtown Los Angeles, the largest building in the area. Its unbroken height of dark tinted glass and copper towered over a large concrete plaza which was usually vacant, despite its location. Even during the rush of the lunchtime hour, there would be no food vendors that would venture near it and no one would sit at the edge of the large concrete water fountain that lay dry since it was created. It gave off an ominous feel which was hard to rationalize, but most people know well enough to stay away from it.

It was late in the evening and none of the windows were light, giving it the appearance its workers have left for the evening. However, in its basement, behind a large high security door was a top secret laboratory. It was a dark room since the overhead lights were never lit. Three lone figures sat behind their desks in the midst of the blinking machines and tanks filled with tinted liquid that was bubbling faintly. There was a bald, elderly man wearing high-tech goggles with wires connecting him to a nearby computer. He leaned over a low computer screen, typing data without pausing. A lady with a stylish brown bob and wearing a small black dress under a lab coat and taking notes on a sliver clipboard. Her glasses reflected the computer screen, which displayed graphs that changed shape and color. She gasped at a sudden spike on a green graph. "Dr. Nii!" she exclaimed. "There's been a sudden burst of holy energy in Nevada!"

A middle-aged man with pitch black oily hair and five o'clock shadow sat leaning with one arm flung behind his chair. He was cruising the Web and was about to place a bid on Ebay when Dr. Hwang called his attention. He picked up a white stuffed bunny and tucked it under his arm before he strolled over to the lady to observe over her shoulder. The glare from his glasses hid his eyes as his slick smile grew. His voice was like a slithering snake as he said, "Looks like little Kouryou has finally grown up."

--

_To be continued…_


End file.
